What new Google Messages features are rolling out [April 2026]

Google Messages is rolling out a mix of new chat, web, privacy, and safety features across beta and stable versions.

New additions include Tap to Draft, a redesigned read receipts UI, a trash folder, real-time location sharing, and group chat @mentions.

Messages for web is changing to QR code pairing, while encrypted RCS testing is expanding for iPhone-to-Android chats.

Google is also testing Gemini Nano-based scam detection, and Samsung Messages will be discontinued in the U.S. in July.