Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has been working on a Mentions feature for Google Messages, and we managed to activate it for a first look.
- In group chats, users can type @, followed by another user’s name or number, to mention them. An autocomplete prompt will make the mention process easier.
- Mentioned users will see their name highlighted, making it easier to go through noisy group chats without missing out on such important messages.
Google Messages is the de facto medium for RCS conversations on Android flagships, and Google has been consistently working to bring the messaging experience up to par with other competing instant messaging apps. We previously spotted Google Messages working on a Mentions feature that would let users in a group chat mention other users to grab their attention. With the latest Google Messages v20250511 beta, we’ve managed to enable the Mentions feature to give you a first look.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
The mentions feature in Google Messages works practically the same way as it does in other messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. In group chats, you can mention any member by typing @ followed by their name or number. An autocomplete prompt will save you from typing the whole name or number, so users can select the member they want to mention.
Once the mention message is sent, the user’s name will appear highlighted and bold. Anyone in the group can tap on the mentioned user’s name to open a profile preview, with shortcuts for personal DMs and calls.
Currently, since we had to manually activate the feature before it is fully ready and rolled out, the mention worked fine, but the user mentioned didn’t get any special notification about it. Optimistically, we expect mentioned users to receive a highlighted notification that can possibly bypass group notification settings, just as other apps let you do.
Google hasn’t announced the Mentions feature yet, so we don’t know if and when this will roll out. Given its utility in noisy group chats, we hope to see it rolled out soon.
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