Smart Reply in Google Messages lets you instantly send one of multiple suggested replies with a single tap. While this is a decent idea in theory and has worked relatively painlessly since its introduction in 2018, frequent users will be aware that this row of replies is also prone to accidental taps.
In January, we learned that Google was looking to add a draft toggle within settings that would add the suggested reply to the text field rather than sending it as a message directly. The Messages app is now rolling out this new toggle to a small batch of users.
Following up on their January report on this upgraded functionality, the folks at 9to5Google have found this toggle up and running in Google Messages version 20260303_00_RC00 (beta). A quick look at Messages settings > Suggestions on my Pixel device, running the same app version, confirms the availability of this new dynamic toggle.
Users can also stick with Tap to Send
The toggle will be set to Tap to Send by default, which is what Google is calling the existing behavior of Smart Reply. With this in mind, all you need to do is flip the toggle to enable Tap to Draft. This is a unique approach and avoids two separate toggles, though I can see how it could seem confusing to some users at first glance.
I would prefer to keep the toggle set to Tap to Draft, specifically because I’ve accidentally tapped one of the suggested replies when I didn’t mean to on innumerable occasions. As 9to5Google notes, adding a second step can greatly eliminate this concern, while also letting you use it as a starting point to refine the reply you want to send.
At the same time, people who are used to the existing behavior don’t need to change a thing, given that Tap to Send is enabled by default. The toggle is currently appearing only on the beta channel, though it shouldn’t be long before it becomes available to all Messages users.
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This feature addition comes on the heels of Google rolling out Find Hub-powered real-time location sharing in Messages, after it was detailed in a late-February leak.
Real-time location will be available via the chat screen’s ‘+’ menu and will live alongside the existing Location option, which sends a fixed Google Maps location without tracking capabilities. Separately, Messages is also gaining the long-awaited Trash folder in beta, offering users a fallback option if they accidentally delete an important conversation.
