Get started with the Google Messages app

If a contact is already in your phone, it'll show as a contact in your Google Messages. You can also add a new contact from within the app itself.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Tap Start chat.
3. Enter the name, phone number, or email of the person you want to send a message to.
4. Enter your message.
5. Tap Send .

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Select a conversation that exists with someone not in your contacts.
3. Tap More Add contact.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Select a group conversation with the number you want to add as a contact.
3. Tap More Details.
4. Tap the number you want to add Add contact.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Open a conversation with the person you want to change notifications for.
3. Tap More Details Notifications.

Tip: You can turn notifications on or off completely for this person, or edit advanced settings for how notifications display on your device.

You can send replies to messages. When you send a reply to a specific message in a conversation, the content of the original message is quoted along with your reply.

Tip: If you use a computer, you can view replies to messages, but you can't send replies. Replies are available if you have chat features turned on. Learn more about chat features.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Tap and hold the message you want to reply to in a conversation.
3. Tap the Reply arrow .
4. Enter your message.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Open a message with a verification code.
3. Click Copy {Code}.
4. On the app or website, paste the code.

Tip: Google can’t view your messages or verification codes. They aren't sent to Google servers as part of this feature.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Tap Search .
3. Enter your search terms.
   • To narrow your search, you can use filters.

Tip: To remove previews, turn off link previews in settings. 

Important: With Android 7.0 and up, you can schedule messages to send on phones. If your phone isn't connected to Wi-Fi or data at the scheduled time, your message is sent when your device reconnects.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Open a conversation.
3. Enter your message.
4. Touch and hold Send .
5. Choose from the suggestions. 
   • Optional: If you choose your own date and time, a calendar opens. After you pick a date, a clock opens so you can pick a time. Tap Next.
6. Tap Send .

Tip: If you open a conversation with a scheduled message, there's a “Scheduled message” notification.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Open the conversation with the scheduled message.
3. Next to the scheduled message, tap Schedule .
4. You can update, send, or delete the scheduled message.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Go to a conversation
3. Select a message.
4. Pinch to zoom in on the message and make the text bigger.

Tip: To decrease the text size back to the default setting, pinch to zoom out.

Learn how to change your display settings on Android.