Google tests new Gboard Quick insert and a redesigned Messages pinning UI
Google is preparing a Quick insert option for Gboard and a new pinning interface for Google Messages, according to Android Authority's app teardown.
The Gboard feature, spotted in an early build, would give users quick access to recent emoji, contacts, clipboard content, and other items directly from the keyboard. Android Authority reports that the feature is already functional and can pull content from across the device, but it is unclear how it will fit in with existing Gboard input options. The report notes that Gboard has been expanding its input modes, including the sign language support that debuted with the Pixel 11 series.
Separately, Google Messages is preparing to lower the pinned chat limit from 20 to six conversations. Alongside that change, the app is working on a new display for pinned chats. In the version messages.android_20260814_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic, Android Authority found that pinned conversations will each show a large contact icon. When a new message arrives in a pinned chat, the circle icon will be replaced by a square that previews the message content. Users will still be able to reorganize the order of pinned chats, and the arrangement will stay fixed even as new messages arrive.
According to the report, the new pinning limit appears to be designed to keep the redesigned interface from becoming cluttered. Neither feature is active yet, and Google has not announced a timeline for their release. Android Authority says it will continue tracking updates to both apps.