Google Messages Takes Cues from One UI

Google Messages is adopting features from Samsung Messages by transitioning to a context-based menu, replacing the traditional triple-dot menu. The redesign focuses on usability, especially as phone screens continue to grow and the app serves as the default messaging platform on Galaxy devices. This shift promises a more intuitive, one-handed experience for users.

Google Messages feature parity with Samsung Messages

Despite the lack of RCS support, Samsung Messages is pretty feature-rich. Google Messages is now adding a handy new feature to match that experience. It introduced a context-based menu that simplifies one-handed access to key functions like reply, forward, copy, start, delete, edit (presumably), and selecting more messages. Currently, these functions are located at the top of the display, which isn’t ideal for one-handed usage.

Thanks to Android Authority’s APK Teardown, we can see that Google’s goal is to enhance the one-handed experience. It aligns with the design philosophy of One UI, which prioritizes one-handed usability, and now Google Messages is following suit. The new context-based menu should look familiar to Samsung Messages users.

It appears that Google Messages is catching up to the features offered by Samsung Messages. Even with the new readable select-multiple-messages feature, which already exists in Samsung Messages. Google Messages now has the advantage in one-handed operation with this specific functionality.

Although Google Messages may be the default for Galaxy devices, Samsung Messages’ design still holds the crown. Despite Samsung stating they will discontinue their own Messages app, they have added a new “Bubble Emoji” feature to Galaxy S25, which is live in South Korea. This update, which automatically adds contextually relevant emojis around text bubbles for more expressive chats, suggests Samsung may be rethinking their decision to shut it down—maybe they’ll provide RCS support in the near future.