Although the panorama of instant messaging apps It is dominated by two main options, WhatsApp and Telegram, there are other equally valid alternatives. Among these, Google Messages stands out, the service where the Mountain View firm works hard to conquer the market with the RCS messages.
After years of dedicating effort and time, it has achieved many improvements, especially in recent months, such as multi-device support, double checking in messages, or end-to-end encryption. These additions have placed it in a better position to attack the competition, and now, its appearance has been redesigned.
A redesign to update it
As we read in 9to5Google, a media specialized in the technology giant’s services, the instant messaging application is updated, showing the redesign that Google began testing last June. Let’s see What changes and news does it bring?.
After spending several months testing the new design, specifically since June, Google now considers it stable enough to release it to the rest of the users.
To begin with, the first thing we see as soon as we open the application is the absence of the usual top search bar. It has disappeared to leave the top bar more cleanshowing only the Google logo and the name of the app.
Of course, on the right side of this strip, we still have the search bar, but It will be hidden behind the magnifying glass icon. Next to this icon, we see our profile image, which takes us to the drop-down menu where we can access the app’s settings.
Now, the most substantial change is the sidebar loss, the one that we displayed by touching the hamburger menu or by swiping from left to right. Instead, all the sections have moved to the button on our profile.
On the other hand, when we tap on the magnifying glass and access the search function, we see a grid layout that categorizes the different filters that we can apply to conversations: unread, known or unknown, featured, those that contain images, among others.
This last change causes the filters that we previously had on the main screen to disappear. And ultimately, we have a much more functional aesthetic sectionas well as modern that is in line with the lines of Material You.
The deployment of the new Google Messages has already moved to the stable channel, so you should have the new look available. If not, and if we are impatient, we can try to force the app to stop, in order to receive this change of scenery.
Via | 9to5Google
In Xataka Android | In-depth comparison of messaging applications on Android: WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram and LINE face to face