Google Messages UI Overhaul: New Gallery and Snooze Features
Google Messages, the popular messaging app, has undergone a substantial update, introducing a redesigned user interface and several new features. The rollout is currently underway, reaching users in both the beta and stable branches. A key change involves a revamped gallery interface, providing a full-screen camera viewfinder when attaching media. This new design replaces the previous half-sheet interface, offering users a more immersive experience for selecting images and videos.
Enhanced Media Sharing
One of the most notable improvements is the introduction of original-quality media sharing. Users can now choose to send images and videos in their full resolution, marked as "HD+" within the app. This option offers a higher-fidelity experience compared to the previously default, lower-resolution option, which remains available for users concerned about data usage. While offering higher quality, this full-resolution option adds an extra step to the process of attaching files.
Improved Notification Management
In addition to the updated gallery, Google Messages beta users now benefit from an enhanced notification management system. A new snooze feature allows users to temporarily silence notifications from specific chats. This functionality provides more granular control over notifications, allowing users to mute individual or group chats for periods ranging from one hour to indefinitely. Snoozed chats will be clearly identified with a clock icon.
These updates reflect Google's ongoing commitment to improving the user experience within Google Messages. The new features aim to enhance both the process of sharing media and managing message notifications. The full-screen gallery, while potentially less efficient for selecting existing media, offers a more visually appealing and intuitive experience for capturing and sending new content. The snooze function provides users with significantly greater control over their notification settings.
Source: AndroidAuthority