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Google Messages is taking a page out of iMessage’s book, using color to denote RCS and SMS/MMS users.
Anyone using RCS chats, both on Android and iOS, will have their contact name colored in Material You pastels.
The Google Messages app will also place a small RCS badge to the right of contact names.
While there are a number of visual cues to designateRCS chatsfrom standard SMS/MMS messaging in the Google Messages conversation list, there aren’t any before you create a new conversation.
In the beta version of theGoogle Messages app, the site discovered small RCS badges beside the contact names of people who have enabled RCS when creating a new conversation. After tapping theStart chatbutton in Google Messages, the list of suggested contacts shows the RCS badge for RCS users and nothing for SMS/MMS users. The feature works for both RCS users on Android and iOS, which is notable.
TheNew conversationtab also changes the color of contact names that are using RCS. The color is changed from black to Material You pastels. These light shades are more clearly visible when using light mode compared to dark mode. This tweak bears a strong resemblance tohow Apple handles messages, using blue to denote iMessage users and green for everyone else.
It’s also neat that if a contact has two numbers, you can individually see whether one or both numbers support RCS. The badges and color codes for RCS could be helpful in certain situations when youcan only send an RCS chat, like if mobile service is unavailable and you’re relying on Wi-Fi.
Since this feature is working in the Google Messages app beta, it could come to the stable release soon. However, it’s unclear when or if this feature will be officially released, as Google hasn’t publicly announced it.
It seems Google is pretty happy with the state of its Gemini model at the moment because it’s inserting AI features into every product it has lately. This time,Workspaceis getting the AI refresh, with new features coming to Docs, Sheets, Vids, Meet, and Chat — along with a new “agentic AI” feature called Workspace Flows.
First up, Docs is getting new audio and AI writing capabilities. The podcast feature first used inNotebookLMreceived a lot of praise, and now it’s starting to appear in more places. It came to Gemini a few weeks ago, and now it’s coming to Google Docs in a few weeks.
Google
If you haven’t heard about it,audio overviewsare basically AI-generated summaries of your document but presented in a new way — instead of text, you get a podcast hosted by two AI personas. It sounds quite out there, but Google says it’s had great feedback and there are plenty of people online talking about how great it is for multitasking.
As well as the podcast-style overviews, you can also get an audio version of your document as is. This is meant to help you spot any weird phrasing in your writing or check through a document without actually sitting down and reading it.
The second feature for Docs is Help me refine, and Google says it’s more than just a text-generating tool. Instead, the model has been trained to offer “thoughtful suggestions” to improve both your language and the content of your writing — encouraging you to engage in the process and develop your skills as a writer and communicator.
Tools that “force” you to do something properly like this can be a little unpopular with some users — since there are plenty of LLMs that will just fix everything for you, it can seem a little condescending for Google to decide you need to put some work in yourself.
However, if you can see past this, it likely really is a better way to utilize an AI writing tool. Offloading tasks to AI can quickly affect your own abilities, and while writing assistance can help speed tasks up, most people will still have to spend a lot of time writing documents. It would frankly suck to spend so much time on something just to find your skills degrading rather than improving.
Either way, if this feature works well,Grammarlymight not be so pleased — most people won’t want two different programs highlighting their typos at the same time, so one or the other will probably get the boot.
Moving on to the other features, we’ve got theHelp me analyzebot inGoogle Sheets, built to help you spot patterns and interesting trends in your data that you might have missed. If you’re not sure how to get the results you want, it can point you in the right direction — saving you time while making sure it doesn’t also waste time by taking control and generating charts that aren’t quite what you need.
Google
Vidsis also getting access to in-app video generation, andMeetis adding a personal in-meeting advisor to help you catch up on discussions you missed or draft a point you want to make before saying it. If you have a long discussion in Chat, Gemini will soon be available for you to @ and ask for a summary.
And lastly, Workspace is getting access to its own AI agents, allowing teams to build new automatic processes that help streamline work. These agents, known asGems, can look at the documents in your Drive for context and guidance to inform its decisions.
The exampleGoogle shows offis a customer support Gem that can review request forms, understand the issue, research solutions, draft a reply, and flag it for a team member to review and send. Again, the design of the tool focuses on not going too far, always seeking out human input before it makes any mistakes that could drastically reduce its effectiveness as a time-saving tool.
It looks like there will be a staggered release for all of these features, with most coming in the next couple of weeks or months, and the Sheets feature coming later in the year.
The company is offering a few updates and tips for navigating a travel-filled summer.
(Image credit: Google)
What you need to know
Google highlighted a series of updates for AI and apps that might help users travel this summer.
AI Overviews will soon help users build itineraries for traveling to new places with activities that can span several days.
The company also detailed trending international and domestic places users have been searching for in Flights in 2025.
Get ready for the weekend with a few updates for Google’s AI and apps that will prepare you for a summer full of traveling.
In a press release, the company detailed the start of these updates forits AI Overviews in Search. Google says “starting this week,” users can begin receiving “trip ideas” for cities, as well as “distinct” regions and entire countries. To get started, Google gives the following example: “create an itinerary for Costa Rica with a focus on nature.”
The company’s AI software in Search will return a map for users to browse. Additionally, you’ll find photos and reviews from others who’ve visited the area and engaged in activities similar to what you’re interested in. The AI Overview will also break down what activities it thinks you could partake in throughout your stay in a given region/country.
This feature will soon rollout for English-based user queries in the U.S. on mobile and desktop. What’s more, Google says users can export their AI-generated itinerary to share with others — which could be helpful if you’re traveling with people.
Alternatively, Google says you could even leverage Gemini for some travel plan assistance. Users can ask the AI model for cheap hotels or “affordable activities” to do in a given country and see what it returns. Moreover, it highlights the ability toutilize its Gems feature, which lets users tailor Gemini to their specific needs.
With a place in mind, the company says users will soon find the ability to “track prices”for hotelsafter finding a plane through Google Flights. A new option to track prices for your chosen destination and planned stay will soon appear. Google recommends users tap the “price-tracking toggle” within the search filters in Hotels to receive email notifications if/when things change.
Hotel price tracking is said to begin rolling out “globally this week” on mobile and desktop.
Once you’ve arrived, Google Maps might be your best friend in that wonderous new place if you’ve been doing a bit of research. The post highlights a new Maps feature called “screenshot.” If enabled, Maps will leverage its Gemini capabilities to scour through your saved screenshots so you can review and save any useful ones into a comprehensive list. That list of places can then be shared with others with whom you may be traveling.
This new Gemini-backed screenshot feature in Maps is rolling out “this week” in the U.S. for iOS users first. Google says Android support is “coming soon.”
Lastly, the company highlights Google Lens’ usefulness when out in the world. If you spot a landmark or cool piece of artwork, users can open the app, point at it, and submit a query about it. Google says users shouldreceive an AI Overviewpacked with information about it, with links to more should you be curious. AI Overviews in Lens is also expanding to more languages, such as Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish “in most countries where AI Overviews is available.”
Elsewhere, Google is trying to help folks decide where they might travel this year with a glimpse into some trending destinations in 2025. When looking internationally, many trends in Google Flights lean toward the Island of Curacao, Osaka (Japan), St. Lucia (Caribbean Island), Tokyo, and more. However, domestically, folks are interested in going to San Juan, Puerto Rico the most, followed by Billings, Montana.
Hopping into Google Search shows people are looking for information on “island vacation outfits” and “wide leg linen pants.”
While that Billings, Montana result might be a shock after Puerto Rico, Google says it could be because users are interested in “easy access” to the outdoors. Montana is trending alongside Juneau, Alaska, and Bangor, Maine. What’s more, users are searching for “cabins” as part of a romantic getaway this year, too.
As a side note, Google’s analytics show people are looking for ways to get the most space out of their bags while traveling. “Vacuum bags” and “compression packing cubes” have topped the charts recently.
Search results won’t appear in chronological order anymore.
What you need to know
Gmail is rolling out a new, upgraded version of mail search that can prioritize “most relevant” results.
Users can still manually sort “most recent” results to get the list in chronological order.
The feature is rolling out now for personal Google accounts, and will eventually come to business accounts in the future.
Google is upgrading Gmail’s search smarts with AI to prioritize relevant results over recent keyword hits, it announced in ablog post, March 20. While the old version of search in Gmail showed the most recent keyword results in emails, the upgraded version will “now factor in elements like recency, most-clicked emails and frequent contacts.”
The AI-powered search feature is arriving inGmailas “Most relevant” results. Users can now toggle between “Most relevant” and “Most recent,” depending on the situation. Previously, Gmail defaulted to showing “Most recent” search results, and that was the only option available.
“With this update, the emails you’re looking for are far more likely to be at the top of your search results — saving you valuable time and helping you find important information more easily,” the company explains in the blog post.
You can see an example of how Gmail search results are changing in the graphic below, which shows the old results on the left and the new ones on the right.
The new version of search is rolling out worldwide in Gmail’s web client, as well as the iOS and Android mobile apps. The feature will begin exclusive to personal Google accounts, though the company says it will expand upgraded Gmail search to business accounts “in the future.”
Google has been steadily upgrading Gmail with artificial intelligence to make it easier to use, and more secure. At the end of last year, Gmail became equipped witha new AI model designed to thwart phishing scams in emails. This addition following similar scam-stopping AI features being added toGoogle MessagesandGoogle Phone.
Time will tell whether users prefer the new version of Gmail search over the old one. For people who constantly have to scroll to find old emails, “Most relevant” results may be more helpful. For others, switching back to “Most recent” could be a better option.
Better GPU performance for Tensor and no satellites for the 9a
The Google Pixel 9(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Pixel models from the Pixel 6 onwards are achieving improved benchmark results
This is likely down do newer GPU drivers being added in recent software updates
In less positive news, the Pixel 6a lacks satellite communication features
There’s both good and bad Pixel news today, but the good news will affect more people than the bad, so let’s start there.
Reddit usersare finding that Pixel phones with Tensor chipsets (meaning everything from theGoogle Pixel 6onwards) are achieving much higher GPU scores on Geekbench 6 than they did at launch. This is widely being attributed to the Android 16 beta, butAndroid Authorityreports seeing similarly upgraded performance onAndroid 15.
So chances are you don’t need to grab a beta version of Android to see improvements, but rather that recent stable software updates have massively boosted GPU performance.
The exact boost varies depending on model, but Android Authority claims itsPixel 6aunit saw a nearly 23% GPU performance increase, while elsewhere there are reports of a 62% improvement for thePixel 7a, a 31% improvement for thePixel 8, and even a 32% improvement for the recentGoogle Pixel 9.
Android Authority speculates thatGoogleachieved this through including newer GPU drivers in recent Android updates, as while all recent Pixels use anArmMali GPU, they don’t always ship with the latest available GPU driver version.
How much impact these performance improvements will have in the real world remains to be seen, but they’re nice to see, and could help extend the lifespan of older Pixel models.
Now for the bad news, and this relates specifically to the newGoogle Pixel 9a, which we’ve learned doesn’t support Satellite SOS. Google confirmed as much toAndroid Authority, and this is a feature found on other Google Pixel 9 models which allows you to contact emergency services in areas without Wi-Fi or cell signal.
So it’s a potentially life-saving tool, and while Google didn’t say why it’s absent here, it’s likely because the Pixel 9a uses an older Exynos Modem 5300, rather than the 5400 used by the rest of the Pixel 9 series.
While this is a feature that you’ll hopefully never need to use, it would be reassuring to have, and this isn’t the only omission in the Pixel 9a, as we also recently learned thatit lacks several AI toolsoffered by the rest of the Pixel 9 line.
In fact, this phone has had a slightly troubled launch, with not just these omissions emerging, but also a delay in sales of the phone while Google investigatesa “component quality issue”.
Still, the silver lining there is that this delay allowed time for these omissions to be uncovered, so you might think twice about buying the Google Pixel 9a. Certainly, we’d wait until we’ve had a chance to put it through a full review before purchasing one.
A German retailer and a UAE classifieds site have listed the Pixel 9a for sale
Specs and images were also included
These listings suggest the phone will be launching imminently
TheGoogle Pixel 9amust be one of the most heavily leaked phones in recent memory, as along with leaked specs and images we recently saw detailedhands-on Pixel 9a videos– and now the phone has popped up for sale in two different places.
As spotted byGSMArena, the phone was listed on a now-removed page on the website of German retailerTechnomarkt. The listing included pictures, a starting price of 549 euros (roughly $600 / £460 / AU$940), and a fairly detailed specs list.
According to the listing, theGooglePixel 9a will come in Gray, Rose, Black, and Violet shades, will have Gorilla Glass 3 protection, and will have either 128GB or 256GB of storage.
It apparently has a 6.3-inch FHD+OLEDscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,700 nits, and it’s said to have a Tensor G4 chipset like the rest of thePixel 9line, 8GB of RAM, a 5,100mAh battery, a 48MP main camera, and a 13MP ultra-wide camera, all of which are details we’ve heard before.
(Image credit: Dubizzle)
The other listing is less revealing, and takes the form ofa classifieds postin the UAE. This then isn’t an official store; rather it’s an individual who’s selling a Pixel 9a for AED 2,350 (around $640 / £490 / AU$1,000), but the listing does include pictures of the box.
The fact that both of these listings exist suggests the Google Pixel 9a will launch very soon. Indeed, the German listing stated that the phone would be delivered in around 10-14 days.
We don’t know for sure when the Pixel 9a will be announced, but leaks suggestwe could see it as soon as tomorrow(March 19), in which case we should know all the official details soon – although with the Pixel 9a having been so extensively leaked, we don’t expect to learn much that we haven’t already heard.
Google’s Find My is nearly a year old, but it has been quickly gaining new features in that short time.
Now, the ability to track friends and family via the Find My app is starting to roll out to Android users, which Googleannouncedin early March for Pixel phones. Other Android devices will get to use it in the future.
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As with most Google features, it didn’t immediately land on Android devices and instead was rolled out over the last few weeks.
The Find My app now has two categories at the bottom of the screen labeled “Devices” and “People” (still in beta, apparently).
Tap on the people tab to see a map and a button called “+ New Share.” The map will show you the live locations of people who are sharing with you. The New Share button lets you send your location for various times including one hour, today only, a custom duration, or until you turn it off.
You can share your location via a link or select individuals to send your area, including Apple device owners.
This option already works similarly in theGoogle Mapsapp, and from what we can tell, Google isn’t removing that feature from the Maps app.
If you didn’t know this existed in Google Maps, you can find it by clicking your profile icon in Maps. It should be the fourth option down called “Location Sharing.”
Like the new People tab in the Find My app, you can share your location for selected times. The interface looks the same across the two apps once you click on location sharing.
People you share your location with in Google Maps can always find your Name and photo, the device’s recent location even when Google apps aren’t being used, the device’s battery power and if it’s charging and arrival and departure time if they add a Location Sharing notification.
Google
I think the sharing is easier to do in the Find My app and faster than through Google apps. Plus, it’s combined with the device search, which makes sense to be in the same place on your phone.
That said, using the feature asked me to turn off the power-saving mode. It’ll take some testing, but we’ll need to watch how power-hungry the mode is, especially on older devices.
Tracking your Android devices is more manageable if you haven’t used the Find My network. Google offers the Find My Device feature but requires a network connection and a turned-on device.
The newer Find My network accesses a network of Android devices andBluetoothto track phones, tablets or earbuds that may not be connected to a network.
A transformation is underway for Gboard users on Android as Google begins rolling out a redesigned layout for the keyboard. This update introduces circle and pill-shaped keys for a selected group of beta testers, moving away from the traditional rounded rectangle keys. The individual letter keys will be circular, while the space bar and other key functions will adopt a pill shape to enhance usability and visual appeal.
This redesign is part of the latest Gboard beta (version 15.1), which is currently in early phases and has not yet been widely released to all users in the testing program.
Recent changes have also been implemented in the Gboard toolbars, including a refined shortcut button for easier access to essential features. The updated Dynamic Color theme has been streamlined to align more closely with Android’s material design principles, providing users with a fresh interface.
These adjustments are designed to refresh the keyboard’s appearance and improve user engagement. However, not everyone is liking the changes.
For example, folks on Reddit call the most recent changes “awful” and “annoying.” One user said: “The graphic designer in me is just hurt looking at this. Atrocious, atrocious typography.” Over on X, comments about the newly shaped keys are nearly identical: people don’t like it.
Google has not yet announced when the keyboard changes will be available to general Android users or if there will be an option to revert to the old design.
Gboard on Android was originally released in December 2016. It followed a May 2016 release on iOS.
Last year the phone case maker Clicks introduced theClicks for iPhone keyboard. It brought tactile typing back to smartphones in a Blackberry-esque case.
Now, Clicks is bringing that Blackberry flavor over to Android. The iPhone 16 version provided more screen real estate and keyboard shortcuts with Clicks promising a similar experience for several newer Android phones including theGoogle Pixel 9,Pixel 9 Pro,Samsung Galaxy S25,andMotorola Razr Plus 2024.
“Clicks gives the Android community more choice over how to type, navigate and take action with a smart accessory that’s as fun as it is functional,” Michael Fisher, Clicks co-founder said in a press release.
The keyboard has a Gemini key for AI features, backlighting and a Clicks app for customization. You should be able to charge via USB-C or normal wireless charging with no hiccups, all pluses over the original design.
We took a look at theiPhone version of the keyboard caselast year and found that it took some time to find a rhythm in typing with a keyboard on your phone after so many years away from our Palm Treo Pros and BlackBerry Bold 9000s.
Phones editor John Velasco wrote, “I can see how the physicality of using a keyboard could appeal to people who have never experienced it before. There’s certainly room for improvement in making the next version better, but it’s a good start and the best option for a portrait style keyboard for any phone for that matter.”
It should be noted that outside of the Razr devices which can fold down, the keyboard does make your phone much longer. We don’t have specs for these new cases but the iPhone 16 version is 7.41-inches tall, adding nearly 2-inches to the height of the standard iPhone.
Presumably, you’ll get similar dimensions on the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25 which are 6.09 and 5.78-inches tall, respectively. For those who are already annoyed with how big phones have gotten in recent years, this won’t allay those concerns.
Starting February 25, all four versions of the Android Clicks case will be available for pre-order with an entry price of $99. However, after March 21, the price rises to $139, the same as the iPhone version.
There are, however, different ship dates. The Pixel 9 variants start shipping at the end of April. The Razr Plus and Razr follow in “late May” and the Galaxy S25 won’t launch until June of this year.
Google is getting rid of shoddy SMS authentication
Google is removing SMS messages as an authentication option
It will be replaced with on-screen QR codes
Removing SMS authentication reduces the risk of phishing and fraud
Googleis officially moving away from using SMS messages in its Gmail account two-factorauthenticator.
Gmail spokesperson Ross Richendrfer toldForbes, “we want to move away from sending SMS messages for authentication” to “reduce the impact of rampant, global SMS abuse.”
SMS authentication codes can be easily intercepted by hackers simply by porting your phone number to a new device – just one of the many security issues plaguing SMS messages for authentication.
Google will instead introduce on-screen QR codes that will have to be scanned with your chosen authentication device in order to verify that it is actually you trying to log in. This potentially adds an extra layer of biometric security for those who use a facial recognition or fingerprint scan to access their device or applications.
QR codes will also solve two other concerns related to SMS authentication methods. The first being that QR codes are more phishing resistant, as there will no longer be a security code to share with an attacker. The second being the authentication will no longer be reliant on the phone service provider’s abuse and fraud protections.
Authentication will still be reliant on the user having access to their mobile device, but removes a significant amount of the risk of abuse. For Google, it is also a win, as it cuts down on threat actors being able to run ‘traffic pumping’ campaigns.
In these campaigns, criminals will abuse online service providers to generate a huge amount of SMS messages to phone numbers they control, allowing them to generate revenue through access charges and intercarrier compensation.
In the future, Google hopes to move to a fully passkey supported authenticator system, but the move from passwords to passkeys hasn’t been as fast as Google had hoped, despite their best efforts to convince users to make the switch.
