By Jay Bonggolto
Publication Date: 2026-09-25 22:13:00
What you need to know
- Long-pressing a message now triggers a floating menu right beside the bubble on Google Messages — complete with a blurred background and shortcuts for copying, starring, or replying.
- You can finally drag selection handles to grab specific snippets like codes or addresses instead of being forced to copy the entire message.
- Swiping left across a chat reveals all message timestamps and encryption statuses at once, while swiping right lets you reply instantly.
Google Messages is making some subtle changes to the basic gestures that Android users have relied on for years. Google appears to be changing how you copy text, check timestamps, and reply to individual messages, alongside the new long-press menu.
The biggest visual change is the new long-press menu. Google Messages now places a floating menu next to the selected bubble instead of pushing controls to a toolbar on top. You have quick access to Reply, Forward, Copy, Star, Delete, Select more, and Info, while…
