Google Messages continues to improve by finally offering text formatting options. A way to make messages clearer and more pleasing to the eye, while catching up with its competitors.
Installed as standard on most Android smartphones, Google Messages, the free SMS, MMS and RCS application, has attracted many users – it has no less than five million downloads worldwide – and continues to grow. enrich new, very practical functions, such as defining a profile. Last October, its interface was modernized, with the disappearance of the search bar and a grid of new options (see our article). This time, the app should soon welcome text formatting options, as announced by leaker AssembleDebug on the site TheSpAndroid. Note that they were also introduced recently in the Google Keep note-taking application (see our article).
Google Messages: new text formatting options
With the new formatting options, you will be able to make your texts bold or italic using the Markdown markup language – using symbols. So, putting asterisks around a word (**How it works**) will be found in bold in the final text, while a word surrounded by an underscore (_How it works_) will be italicized – without the symbols of course. Apparently it will also be possible to cross out text, insert images and set headers, like what is done on WhatsApp, Messenger, X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram. However, lists, arrays, and quotes don’t seem to be supported. Note that the formatting will be compatible with both SMS and RCS conversations. For now, it’s only available in Google Messages beta 20231113, but it should roll out to a stable version soon. An interesting addition to the application, especially as Apple is preparing to bring RCS support to its iPhones in early 2024 (see our article).
Another cool feature in the works is the ability to send voice notes on Google Messages with a noise cancellation feature. As its name suggests, it allows users to send their voice notes while masking background noise. Just press the new “noise cancellation” button before sending the voice note or while recording to activate it. Result: the user’s voice will be heard more clearly by the recipient. Quite practical!
