Summary

  • Google is revamping the Messages app settings menu with a Material Design 3-inspired layout.
  • The new UI features a card-style layout and thicker Material You toggle switches.
  • Google is also working on introducing features like group chat join via link and other UI tweaks.

Google is constantly tweaking the Messages app, rolling out small UI changes and feature updates every now and then. Recently, the company has been working on minor updates like changes to the send button, read receipts, and revamping the “Start new chat” interface. Now, it looks like Google is overhauling the settings menu inside the app, aligning it with the upcoming Android 16 release.

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As spotted by Android Authority, Google is working on a revamped Preferences menu for Google Messages. The new design clearly takes inspiration from Material Design 3, which is set to debut with

Android 16 in mid-2025
. The updated settings UI now closely resembles the Settings app in Android 16, aligning with Google’s effort to unify its design language across the board.

Google Messages is getting a settings redesign

The screenshots show that the new settings UI adopts a card-style layout, with each item placed inside distinct cards that feature subtle borders for a cleaner look. Google is also implementing the new Material You-style toggle switches, which have a thicker design that makes it easier to see whether a setting is on or off.

Android Authority was able to manually activate the new interface in Google Messages beta version 20250316, but the new settings UI is not available in the public beta version just yet. The report also states that the redesign is still a work in progress, meaning the final version could look slightly different when it officially rolls out.

It’s worth noting that Google is making similar changes across its apps — the Google Phone app was also recently spotted with an overhauled settings menu.

Alongside these UI tweaks, Google is working on several new features for the Messages app. The company is reportedly planning to introduce a feature that will let users join group chats via a link, and it recently rolled out real-time scam detection alerts for messages. In case you were wondering, Google has also

fixed the broken media messaging issue
that was affecting Messages app users.