Google continues to refine its messaging app with new features that users have been waiting for. The latest, detected in a beta version, would allow you to mention someone in a group conversation using the "@" symbol. This new feature would bring Google Messages a little closer to its competitors like WhatsApp, Telegram, and iMessage, where this option has already been available for a long time.
A major shortcoming of Google Messages
Group chats can quickly become chaotic, with some important messages going unnoticed. The addition of "@" mentions would offer a simple and effective solution to attract the attention of one or more members of the conversation. According to Android Authority, the feature would work in a classic way: the mentioned user would receive a notification and would directly see the message in question. opening the app.
This innocuous change shows the obvious delay accumulated by Google Messages compared to its competitors. WhatsApp, Telegram, and iMessage have been integrating this feature for years, and even live chats on Twitch are taking advantage of it. With the gradual integration of RCS, Google is looking to make its app a serious alternative to Apple and Meta's proprietary services, but the road still seems long.
Will Google go all the way?
This new feature is, for now, in the testing stage. Google usually experiments with new features in beta versions of its apps, but not all of them necessarily make it to the stable version. Additionally, little information has leaked about how exactly it will work: will it allow for highlighting of mentioned messages, specific filtering, or a personalized type of alert? That remains to be seen.
Another question mark concerns compatibility with RCS chats with iMessage users. Google will have to determine whether this feature will be limited to the Android ecosystem or if it will follow the logic of competing platforms. Either way, the integration of "@" mentions seems like a natural step to improve the user experience and strengthen the appeal of RCS compared to other messaging apps.
Source: Android Authority
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