The Google Messages update will make you wish it was the last of its kind

The last two text area designs from Google Messages. | Image source: 9to5Google

To bring you up to speed, earlier this year Google Messages had a pill-shaped compose box with the emoji button at the top, followed by Magic Compose, Gallery and the “Plus” menu. Voice messages were outside the frame, in the circle. It changed to “Send” after you typed something.

At the end of October, this change was reverted, with Google reverting to the previous design with Plus, Gallery and Magic Compose on the left and moving the text box with emoji and voice memo shortcuts in it to the right. Not everyone was a fan of this design, which is understandable since it looked pretty busy.

Google has moved things around again in the latest beta. The text field is now positioned to the left again, but the placement of the buttons has changed. The Plus is still the first button, and then comes Magic Compose, Emoji first, and Gallery. The Voice Memo/Send button remains outside. Once something is entered, all that’s left is plus and emoji.

The latest text box design from Google Messages. | Image source: 9to5Google

Whether you like the new design or not, you might want it to stay that way for a long time. After all, muscle memory is hard to retrain and even harder to shake.

Also, don’t be surprised if the change isn’t live for you yet, as the report notes that it’s not yet available to everyone.

Additionally, there are also redesigned read receipts in the beta version, although the implementation currently appears to be broken and the new design only appears in the main message list.