Google Messages Beta Update Fixes App Drawer Doppelgänger Bug

This week has been a wild one for Google Messages beta testers, who woke up to a surprising sight: some found two, three, or even four identical Google Messages icons lined up in their app drawer. Thankfully, the bug has now been squashed. According to Android Authority, citing a Reddit user, the issue was resolved after they updated to the latest beta version.

Google Messages bug that created extra icons patched in new beta update

SammyGuru writer Gerwin van Giessen confirmed the bug yesterday after spotting not three, but four Google Messages app icons while running a beta version. Over the weekend, this Google Messages beta bug spread like wildfire. As with any beta release, bugs are part of the package, so the glitch, while odd, was not exactly shocking. After all, betas are works in progress and not finished products.

This is a folder from the app drawer, not the home screen. Gerwin

The problem cropped up in version v20250811 of the Google Messages beta. A recent tweak to the app’s code added an extra android.intent.category.LAUNCHER intent filter to another activity within the app. That small change prompted Android to treat the second activity as if it were a separate app shortcut, which explains the sudden appearance of duplicate icons alongside the main one.

The duplicates are completely identical. Tapping any of them opens the same Messages app with the same conversations. They do not even duplicate in the search function, although they can appear together in places like the Pixel Launcher’s suggested apps row. The only real consequence is extra clutter in your app drawer, which might make you briefly question your eyesight.

The good news is that the fix has already rolled out. The follow-up beta update, v20250813, removes the extra icons for most testers. If they linger after updating, a quick reboot usually does the trick. Until you update, consider it a harmless novelty: two, three, or even four Google Messages apps, just in case one gets lonely. Because why not?