Google has been spiffing up its Messages app for Android. Last month, it revealed a new icon for the app and now there are new chimes for sent and received messages. You are allowed to change the sound that plays when you get an incoming message. Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Default notification sound. Tap on the top box and you’ll see a list of sounds that you can pick as the one you will hear to alert you of an incoming message. Be sure to hit “save” on the upper right of the screen after you make your selection.
But even though you can choose the sound that will play to herald an incoming message, the Messages app determines the sound that will play for incoming and outgoing messages when a thread is open. After going through testing for several weeks, 9to5Google says that Google has replaced the old incoming and outgoing messages chime with shorter and softer sounds.
Other changes on the way include the ability of the Rich Communication Service (RCS) platform found in Google Messages to allow users to react using any emoji they want to use rather than choose from the limited number of seven that are currently available. Also supposedly on the way to the Google Messages app are new indicators for sent, delivered, and read messages.
Indicators for sent, delivered, and read RCS messages. Image credit Android Police
A sent message will show a small circle with a checkmark inside while a delivered message will show two circles each with a checkmark inside. A message that has been read will still have the two circles with the checkmarks, but the inside of the circle will be colored in. This smells like a server-side update that will require Google to flip the switch on its end to disseminate the update; there is nothing that you can do about it on your end to make it arrive faster.
Hey! We should also point out that if you have an Android phone and you want the features of RCS which including the ability to send longer messages, higher quality video and images, get read receipts, typing indicators, and use emoji reactions, you need to dump the carrier-based Messages app you’re currently using (like Verizon Messages for example) and download Google Messages found in the Play Store.
