What you need to know
- In its stable and beta versions, Google Messages is reportedly no longer displaying when a thread has a drafted message in its main list view.
- Users on Reddit report that the former “You” tag in italics, followed by your drafted message is no longer appearing in the conversation list.
- However, our internal tests show that Messages still recognizes a drafted message by shifting the thread’s position to the top of the app.
In a curious move, Google Messages is no longer displaying a user’s draft in its main view.
The issue was reported in the Pixel subreddit with users highlighting how Messages no longer display “Draft” in the conversation list (via 9to5Google). The change has been spotted in the stable version of Messages (v20240521_00_RC01) and its beta (version 20240531_00_RC00).
The user’s Reddit report states that typing a message and then leaving the thread shows the most recently sent or received text instead of “Draft.”
Our internal tests with a Moto Edge Plus (2023) show that Messages still recognize a change in a conversation. Instead of displaying the drafted message in italics, the thread will move to the top of the list. Tapping that thread will display what you were writing in the text field.
Deleting your draft will return the chat thread to its former position in your Messages list.
Users are left wondering if this is a bug or simply another feature reduction Google has implemented for Messages.
Google Messages is no longer showing previews of drafts in text messages. Is this a bug? Or was the feature removed? from r/GooglePixel
If this isn’t a bug, drafts disappearing from the main view wouldn’t be too surprising as Google has removed other features, like organization for personal and business. The Messages app used to display chips for “All,” “Personal,” and “Business” texts but the choice to organize messages into those categories was removed.
The feature succeeded in helping users declutter their Messages app as they didn’t have to see “Business” texts if they didn’t want to. Last year, it was assumed that it was a bug (similar to today), but it quickly became a feature that was no more.
In other news, users are set to gain a new, cleaner writing field in Messages. The field will offer an emoji icon and a plus icon for adding images and other media instead of being filled with other Messages options. The change is designed to take over the old right-aligned chat box that the app previously delivered.
