Google Messages pinned chats could get animated typing indicators and media previews

Android Authority reports that Google is developing a new typing indicator for pinned chats. At present, when a pinned contact is typing, the app displays the word “typing.” The proposed design replaces that text with an animated contact picture.

The app may also change how pinned chats display received media. Today, the pinned chat only says “Image” or “Video.” Under the in-development version, Android Authority says, an image from the contact would appear as a preview. For videos, the app would show a frame from the clip along with a play button. Tapping it would open the conversation so the user can play the video and reply.

Similar changes cover audio files and GIFs. Audio would show a waveform and a play button, while GIFs would show an animated preview, according to the report. The app would also display icons for PDFs and contact cards received in conversations. It could use a generic attachment icon for unsupported file types.

Another potential change concerns managing multiple pinned chats. Android Authority says the pin or unpin icon currently disappears when a user selects multiple contacts. In a future update, users might be able to select several pinned chats and remove them at once, or select several unpinned chats and add them to the pinned section together.

The report follows a previous Android Authority finding last month about a new pinned-chats interface with large contact icons. Android Authority says Google has made several UI updates to Messages and rolled out new features in recent weeks. The newly discovered pinned-chat changes remain under development and are not available to users yet.

Android Authority says the improvements could make the app easier and more fun to use, and it hopes Google will roll them out soon. That is the publication’s assessment, not a confirmed release plan from Google. Google has not announced timing for the features described in the report.