Google Messages Smart Reply Update: Edit Before Sending
Google Messages is enhancing its Smart Reply feature, giving users more control over suggested responses. A new “Tap to draft” option allows users to edit preset replies before sending, addressing a long-standing frustration with the instant-send functionality.
What’s Changing with Smart Reply?
Previously, tapping a Smart Reply suggestion in Google Messages would immediately send the message. The new update introduces a toggle in the app’s settings that changes this behavior. With the “Tap to draft” option enabled, selecting a Smart Reply suggestion will instead insert the text into the message field, allowing for edits before hitting send. Android Central first reported on this change.
How to Enable “Tap to Draft”
The new setting can be found within the Google Messages app under Settings > Suggestions. Toggling the switch to “on” activates the “Tap to draft” feature, while turning it off reverts to the original “Tap to send” behavior.
Recent Google Messages Improvements
This update is part of a series of quality-of-life improvements Google has been implementing in Messages. Recent additions include the ability to copy only a portion of a message and real-time location sharing.
Availability
The “Tap to draft” feature is currently available in the Google Messages beta version (version 20260303). It is expected to roll out to the stable version of the app in the near future.
How to Disable Smart Replies
If you prefer to disable Smart Replies altogether, you can do so by navigating to Settings > Suggestions and toggling the “Smart Reply” switch off. WikiHow provides a guide on managing Smart Replies on Android.
Key Takeaways
- Google Messages is introducing a “Tap to draft” option for Smart Replies.
- This feature allows users to edit suggested responses before sending.
- The setting is located in Settings > Suggestions.
- The update is currently available in the beta version of the app.