As one of thetop texting apps for Android, Google Messages frequently picks up new functionalities as well as design-related enhancements. Back in March, we came across arevamp of the voice recorder UI on the app, in line with the Pixel-exclusive Google Recorder app. It seems like the Messages UI team is going back to the drawing board, as we’re coming across another visual overhaul of the voice recorder UI on Google’s first-party messaging client.
Thanks to some digging around within the Google Messages APK, the folks at9to5Googlewere able to discover a fresh new design for the recorder UI, a departure from the Google Recorder interface that was previously being tested. With this new UI, users are greeted with a graphic briefly explaining how the feature works, as you may see below.
A pill-shaped microphone button sits below the aforementioned graphic, flanked byDeleteandAttachbuttons on either side. In its current form, the voice recorder UI within Messages is fairly minimal (pictured below), so these changes are certainly a welcome addition to the app.
Tapping the microphone initiates the recording, displaying a familiar waveform interface and the duration of the recording. Users can then replay the audio and even scrub through it. TappingAttachtakes the recording to the text field on Messages, with the audio clip finally reaching the user on the other end when you hit the send button. Meanwhile, theDeletebutton lets you restart the recording from scratch.
9to5 was kind enough to upload a video on YouTube showcasing the redesigned UI, though the publication didn’t specify the app version that enabled these changes. Based on the feature’s readiness, though, we assume Google will roll out this new interface to the Messages app imminently, although we don’t have a date to mark on our calendars just yet.
Away from these UI changes, Google Messages enabled thesecure RCS standard for all usersof the app earlier this month. More recently, we learned about the appworking on a new interfaceto send texts using satellite connectivity, a particularly handy feature in emergency/SOS situations, and potentially a step up from the iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS feature.
