What to know

  • Google Messages combines camera viewfinder with gallery in a new fullscreen interface.
  • Users can now send photos and videos in "Original quality" or "Optimize for chat" mode.
  • The update is in beta version 20241118_03_RC00 with wider rollout planned soon.

Google Messages has changed its photo and video sharing interface. The app now shows a fullscreen design that puts your camera viewfinder and gallery in one place.

The new layout shows your camera view at the top when you tap the Gallery button. You'll see face filters and options to switch between Photo and Video modes at the bottom. A gallery sheet displays three recent images below, which you can expand to see all your photos in a grid.

You can now pick how you want to send your photos and videos. The top-right corner offers two choices: "Optimize for chat" for faster sending with compressed quality, or "Original quality" with an HD+ icon for full resolution sharing.

This replaces the old "Send photos faster" option in Settings. After you take a new photo or pick one from your gallery, you'll get a preview screen that shows your gallery at the bottom and lets you add a caption at the top.

The update is now testing in Google Messages beta (version 20241118_03_RC00). Google will make these features available to everyone in the coming months.

Source: 9to5Google