Google Messages Smart Reply Could Soon Let You Fix Mistakes

Google Messages could soon fix one of its frustrating features. The company is reportedly working on a change that will allow users to edit Smart Reply before sending it. This development has been spotted within the app’s APK files, meaning the feature is still under testing and not yet available to users.

Google Messages Smart Reply is getting a quality-of-life improvement

For the uninitiated, Google Messages offers an AI-powered feature called Smart Reply, which suggests short, context-based replies. This helps users respond quickly to their messages, saving time. For example, if someone asks, “How are you?” the app shows a host of options like “Good,” “I’m good,” “Fine,” or “Pretty good.” As such, you can just pick the reply you want with a single tap rather than typing a response.

While this feature is super useful, it has a limitation. When you tap a Smart Reply from the available options, it sends the message instantly. This means you don’t get a chance to make edits or fix typos before the message is delivered. For some users, this could lead to incomplete replies, particularly if the suggested answer doesn’t completely correspond to what they want to say.

Google is now testing a tweak that aims to fix this issue. While digging through the beta version 20260113_01_RC00 of Google Messages, folks over at 9to5Google discovered code suggesting a new behavior for Smart Reply. Now, when you tap a Smart Reply, the suggested text will show up in the message compose box. This will let you edit the text and add more details, just like a normal message, before sending it.

As of now, it is unclear how the UI will look or if the company will make it an optional feature. However, you might be able to manage this capability by heading over to Settings > Suggestions (the Smart Reply toggle is already there). We will let you know when the feature becomes available to users. Stay tuned.