According to Android Police, after a year of tracking user requests, Google continues to ignore several high-demand features for its Messages app. The most glaring omissions include the inability to forward multiple messages in bulk and the lack of a trash folder for recovering accidentally deleted texts. Users also persistently want the return of peer-to-peer payments, a feature Google removed back in 2020 without detailed explanation. Other major requests are native support for polls in RCS chats, customizable chat backgrounds, and better visual separation for pinned conversations. Despite evidence Google may have briefly explored a trash folder, there’s no solid indication any of these features are actively in development.
The Obvious Stuff Google Won’t Build
Look, some of these requests are so basic it’s almost funny. The fact that you can select multiple messages to *copy* them, but the three-dot menu—and the forward option—vanishes when you do, is a bizarre UX choice. It feels like an oversight from 2012. Adding a dedicated forward button seems like a weekend project for a junior dev. And a trash folder? That’s Messaging 101. The article mentions there was some code suggesting Google toyed with the idea, but then it just… evaporated. Here’s the thing: these aren’t flashy, complex AI features. They’re fundamental utilities that prevent user error and save time. Ignoring them sends a clear message to power users: you’re not the priority.
The Tricky Revival And The Easy Wins
Bringing back payments is a legitimately messy problem. Google killed the standalone Google Pay app in the US, and its replacement, Google Wallet, doesn’t do person-to-person payments. So, to reintegrate it into Messages, they’d have to rebuild the plumbing or partner with something else. It’s a business and infrastructure headache. But polls and chat backgrounds? That’s a different story. Google Chat already has polls. The framework exists internally. And backgrounds are purely a cosmetic front-end addition. WhatsApp and others have had them for years. The technical barrier here seems low, which makes the silence from Mountain View even more puzzling. Is it a resource allocation issue, or does Google just not see these as valuable for the app’s core “get people on RCS” mission?
What The Community Is Saying
The article leans heavily on Reddit sentiment, and it’s worth seeing the chatter for yourself. Users are vocal about the lack of visual cues for pinned chats, with many agreeing the tiny pin icon isn’t enough. The desire for payment integration is still strong years after its removal, as noted in Google’s own support forums. And the speculation never stops, with threads constantly analyzing every potential feature rollout or wishing for new additions. This isn’t a fringe group; it’s a dedicated user base mapping out the app’s potential improvements for free.
When “Good Enough” Stops Being Good Enough
So what’s the takeaway? Google Messages is reliable for SMS and is pushing RCS hard. For the average person texting their mom, it’s fine. But for anyone who uses messaging heavily—you know, the people who might actually *care* about RCS—the app feels stagnant. It’s getting the foundational infrastructure right while neglecting the features that make daily use pleasant and efficient. I think that’s a risky strategy. Messaging is a deeply personal, daily-use app. Frustration builds. And when a competitor, or even another platform like WhatsApp or Signal, offers a noticeably smoother, more feature-rich experience, that’s where users drift. Google wants Messages to be a default, a champion. But champions listen to their fans. Right now, it seems like they’re just hearing static.
