Google Messages is working to finally clean up its messy settings menu

Google’s never quite done updating any of its apps, but some in particular seem to receive a lot more attention than others. Lately, we’ve been tracking a whole bunch of Google Messages changes that are under development, including support for RCS video calls and new options for RCS chats. Today we’re checking out another big one, as we spot Google getting ready to massively overhaul settings in Messages.

Right now, pull up settings in Google Messages, and you’ll find one, long, far-too-busy-looking list. RCS options, notification settings, bubble preferences — it’s all just piled on top of itself. But looking at what Google’s prepared in its version messages.android_20261020_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic update, we’re able to preview a bold new layout for the app’s settings, finally bringing a bit of order to that chaos:

Let’s start digging into those, taking a look at what awaits behind those various options:

The Messaging screen brings us to largely the same settings we had before under RCS chats, but like the main settings menu itself, is here divided up into new sections. We also get a dedicated page for viewing SIM data and setting our country.

Like you may have noticed above with Country & Number, the headings we’re seeing on the top of these screens don’t always align with the buttons that led us there — possibly just a consequence of this all being a work in progress.

That continues here with Protection & Safety, instead of Spam & Safety. But make no mistake: This is where your spam-fighting settings live.

Privacy options include configuring profiles and setting up read receipts and typing indicators, if you so choose.

Admittedly, some of these are feeling a bit spartan — but that said, it’s still a big improvement over the disorganized clutter we had before. It also gives Google room to actually illustrate some of these options — which we hope we see more of.

Swipe action settings look pretty much like what we have right now. Gemini, meanwhile, gets some new artwork that better highlights the feature.

That trend continues across the Suggestions & Actions sub-menus, where we’re spotting a bunch of new illustrations.

Of course, that effort is far from universal, and we’re still finding plenty of screens in here with just a tiny bit of text… and a whole lot of blank space.

It’s not a perfect reimagining of Messages settings, but overall, it does feel like a step in the right direction — and we can’t wait to see what everyone thinks when some of this finally starts rolling out.