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What you need to know
- Google revealed “Mentions in Messages,” a feature that allows users to “@” others in a group chat to alert that specific person about their text.
- The post states that users can mention multiple users in a single text and can edit the “recipient’s saved name” in case you don’t want others to see your nickname.
- Previous updates to Messages in March include built-in live location sharing and a trash folder for accidentally deleted chats.
March has been busy for Google Messages, as another new feature rolls out for users to help out in hectic group chats.
This morning (March 20), Google revealed The power of the “@” update for your Messages app on Android. Mentions are rolling out to group chats in the Messages app this week to improve visibility. As long as the text is present in the group chat, Google says that by mentioning a person (or several) it will send them a notification to ensure a response.
Mentioning several people is easy. All users need to do is type “@Derrek” and “@Shruti” (for example) in the text field before the message. However, Google says it’s adding one last capability: the option to edit nicknames you’ve given to others. These group chats will pull the “saved recipient name” that you have on your device.
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But if you don’t want other people to know this name, Messages will allow you to edit it. In the end, Mentions in Google Messages is about visibility in an otherwise chaotic environment. It appears this feature is aimed at RCS-enabled group chats. Google adds that RCS “must be enabled for all members of the group chat.”
All about the texts.
In March, Google Messages received two more updates, one of them being a trash folder. Accidentally deleting a message (or something more important) can be heartbreaking. Google stated that the trash folder can be considered a “safety net” for users who might delete something by mistake. Chats that have been deleted will remain in the app’s trash folder for 30 days before you permanently delete them. If you have realized your mistake, you can go into the folder and restore or permanently delete it yourself.
Elsewhere, the great Google March update for Android Included built-in live location sharing for the Messages app. Users can provide the details to curious friends or family in the app without having to access Maps. While this was announced earlier this month, reports say that Google had not actually started implementing it until this week.
Android Central’s opinion
Google has been a bit slow in adding group mentions. It’s such a useful feature (one of a few others) that, strangely, Google always has to play catch-up. I have a few friends that I message in a group chat outside of Messages that has always had mentions. It’s unlikely that I’ll switch over and start using the Google app for my group chats, but it’s nice that the feature is finally here and rolling out to RCS chats.
