Google Messages Might Add a New Nav Drawer, Google Photos Uploader Soon

Google added several new features to its Messages app on Android to make it a worthy competitor to iMessage. We recently saw the giant Mountain View? roll out support for iMessage responses in Messages for beta users. Now the company is working on some new features of the Messages app to improve the user experience and help you easily share photos and videos.

Google Messages may get two new features

According to a recent report by means of 9to5Google, the Messages app on Android may soon get a new navigation drawer and integration with Google Photos. The publication discovered the new features in the latest APK of the Messages app.

New navigation drawer

Google is reportedly testing a new navigation drawer for the Messages app to help users navigate the app with ease. Currently, the Messages app has an overflow menu in the top right corner with several options, including starred messages and archived messages.

However, in the new UI discovered during the APK teardown, Google has replaced the overflow menu with an account selector button to the right of the search bar at the top. Along with the new account selector, Google has also added a three-bar button to bring up the navigation drawer from the left.

Many of the overflow menu options have been moved to the new navigation drawer, including Messages, Starred, Archived, and Spam and Blocked. Furthermore, the navigation drawer also contains various settings such as Device Link, Choose Theme, Mark All As Read, and Donate Messages.

Google Photos Uploader

Aside from the new navigation drawer, the APK teardown revealed that Google is working on integrating Google Photos’ media uploader feature into Messages. It allows users to share photos and videos as Google Photos links, preserving their quality and resolution.

From 9to5Google, users get a new promo message when they open the Media Browser UI in Messages. Once the feature is enabled, they will see selected photos or videos appear with a Google Photos badge in the text field, along with the size of the media file. Then users can send the file as a Google Photos link.

Allows the recipient to view an image or video in its original quality instead of a compressed version sent through the MMS system. In addition, users will be given a shortcut to manage sharing links in the Google Photos app.

Now it’s worth noting that none of these features are currently available to the public. In addition, like 9to5Google Google may very well remove the features in the future without rolling them out in the stable version of Messages. So stay tuned for further updates and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.