Google Messages has introduced a new media-sharing user interface that enhances the user experience by simplifying the process of sharing photos and videos. This revamped interface enables users to easily toggle between photo and video modes. Additionally, users can swipe up for a full-screen view of their gallery, add captions, adjust media quality, and easily browse through multiple images.
As part of its broader initiative to redesign Android apps with the Material 3 Expressive design, many Google applications have begun receiving significant visual updates. Though currently only available to beta testers, Google Messages is among the latest applications to adopt this modern design. However, all users of Google Messages version 20250518_01_RC00 in the stable channel are seeing enhancements to the media-sharing interface, aligning closer to what’s offered by competing apps like WhatsApp.
The updated media-sharing interface combines the camera viewfinder and the gallery into one cohesive layout. Previously, users could view a mini camera alongside recent images, but this design has been upgraded to display a full-screen camera viewfinder at the top, paired with a gallery of the most recent photos and videos at the bottom. While the conversation screen is no longer visible during this process, the new layout simplifies the switch between photo and video modes.
For those who would rather browse images than take new pictures, the full-screen gallery offers a more expansive view. Users can scroll through their photos seamlessly and have easy access to album folders. When selecting photos, a preview screen allows users to add captions, and for multiple selections, users can navigate through images with ease.
Additional features, such as a trash icon for deletion and an option for changing media quality, further enhance functionality. These features, which began rolling out in the beta version last November, are now available to all users. While they may not resolve some underlying issues with Google Messages, they present a more modern media-sharing interface that may take some time for users to adapt to.
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