Google Messages prepares two changes for group chats. One is the ability to snooze

Google Messages continues to evolve with new features designed to improve the user experience. The latest updates focus on group chat functionality and message control, reflecting Google’s efforts to compete with other major messaging platforms like WhatsApp. According to a recent app teardown, two highly anticipated features are now closer to release.

Message snoozing brings more control to conversations

One of the most notable additions is a new message snoozing feature, which will let users delay notifications for one hour, eight hours, or 24 hours. There’s even an “always” option for indefinite muting, requiring manual reactivation to resume alerts. While it’s still unclear if this will apply to individual messages or whole threads, users will reportedly still receive alerts if they’re directly mentioned in a muted group.

This feature appears to replace the text reminder tool removed by Google in 2023, offering a more flexible and user-friendly alternative. Compared to Android’s system-wide snoozing, which caps at two hours, Google Messages will now offer longer and more customizable silence periods—especially useful for busy group chats.

Group chat links offer easier invitations

Google is also finalizing a group chat joining-link feature, similar to the one offered by WhatsApp. This would allow users to share a link that others can use to join a group, removing the need for manual invitations and making chat coordination easier. Teardowns have revealed interface elements tied to this function, suggesting it may launch soon.

Together, these updates aim to make Google Messages a more powerful communication tool, particularly for group interactions. Both features suggest a shift toward a more modern and competitive platform, focused on ease of use and flexibility.