Google Messages could finally be getting this WhatsApp-style group chat feature

(Image credit: Shutterstock / sdx15)

Google Messages could get WhatsApp-style mentions
An overhauled preferences menu also suggests an app redesign could be in the works
Neither the new feature or redesign has been officially confirmed

Google Messages could finally be getting a seriously useful feature for group chats, as well as an overhauled design, if newly discovered code makes it to release.

In an APK teardown (which is a look at upcoming and unreleased code in future Android updates) the team at Android Authority uncovered a new mentions feature for Google Messages group chats.

A mentions feature typically allows users to tag others in group chats by placing an @ symbol before their name, similar to social media platforms and other messaging services like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Tagging a user then sends them a direct notification, making it much easier to speak directly to an individual or group of people within a wider group chat.

However, as the report notes, the unreleased code doesn’t actually include directions for how Google Messages mentions will actually work, so this is an educated guess based on other implementations on other apps.

Google Messages has steadily been improved over the last few months to add more modern features, such as upgraded media quality, individual read receipts, and unsending messages. As the default messaging app on many of the best Android phones, it’s one of the most commonly used messaging apps worldwide.

But as a separate Android Authority APK teardown notes, we might be getting more than new features in Google Messages’ near future, as further unreleased code hints at an Android 16-inspired redesign.

This second APK teardown enabled the activation of a redesigned Preferences screen, sporting a simplified look that reflects the wider Android 16 UI, which suggests a redesign for the rest of the app is either on the way or being considered.

Of course, Google is under no obligation to actually implement any of this unreleased code, and things may change before release.

Personally, I’m starting to root for Google Messages as a legitimate rival to third-party messaging services like WhatsApp and Apple’s own Messages app. The slew of new features we’ve gotten over the past few years has transformed Google Messages from a backup option to an overall impressive experience.

What do you make of these possible updates? Are you keen to see Google Messages get a redesign? Let us know in the comments.

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Jamie is a Mobile Computing Staff Writer for TechRadar, responsible for covering phones and tablets. A lifelong tech-obsessive, Jamie began his writing career as a music blogger before studying journalism at Goldsmiths College, and joined TechRadar in 2024. He thinks the iPhone 5S is the greatest phone of all time, but is currently an Android user.

As well as reporting on the latest in mobile hardware, software, and industry developments, Jamie specialises in features and long-form pieces that dive into the latest phone and tablet trends. He can also be found writing for the site's Audio and Streaming sections from time to time, or behind the decks as a DJ at local venues around London.

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