As per TheSpAndroid blog (via Android Authority), various flags within Google Messages hint at upcoming features, including camera effects, the ability to remove top contacts and preview drafts, and more.
Google Messages has its own camera activity integrated within the app, distinct from the camera app on your phone. It appears that Google is developing camera effects features, which might be accessible through this built-in camera. While details on the effects remain scarce, Google will likely allow users to toggle these effects on or off.
Here’s how the built-in camera interface looks right now without any camera effects (Image Credit–TheSpAndroid)
Moreover, Google Messages might eliminate the top contacts displayed when you tap the search icon in the app. Typically, Google Messages shows recent contacts with whom you’ve been chatting. However, as per the source, activating a flag in the latest beta version makes the top contacts list disappear entirely.
Likewise, a new flag removes the preview of draft messages from the main screen. While this provides a cleaner appearance to the app’s main screen, it hides a genuinely useful feature. This flag may be used for internal debugging purposes, similar to the one removing top contacts. However, we’ll have to wait for these changes to roll out to beta testers to confirm if this is indeed the case.
Furthermore, it appears that Google might offer users the option to opt in or out of providing usage and diagnostics information, specifically collected from the Google account associated with the user’s sign-in on Google Messages. This setting is expected to be available in Google Messages Settings > Advanced > Usage & Diagnostics.
In other news, Google Messages could be gearing up to let users edit messages that have already been sent, a change that’s definitely welcomed. And that’s not all – the app’s beta version indicates that cool animated background Screen Effects are in the pipeline for all users soon.
