Google Messages’ New Long-Press Menu Is Rolling Out to More Users

Long-pressing a message should be a simple interaction, but Google Messages has traditionally made users reach toward the top of the screen to access basic options. That can be particularly inconvenient on today’s larger smartphones. Google started addressing the issue months ago by expanding access to its redesigned menu in beta in August, and the updated experience now appears to be reaching stable users more widely.

A Reddit user, Lazy_Excitement_2602, recently spotted the redesigned menu on the stable version of Google Messages, specifically version 20260903_04. Several other users in the discussion confirmed that they were also seeing the feature without being enrolled in the beta program. Reports from owners of devices including the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra suggest the rollout is expanding beyond Pixel phones and beta testers.

The updated interface appears when users long-press a message, replacing the previous toolbar at the top of the screen with a floating menu located closer to the selected message bubble. Common actions such as Reply, Forward, Copy, Star, Delete, Select more and Info are now easier to access without having to stretch a thumb toward the upper edge of the display. When dealing with photos, additional options such as Save and Remix may also appear.

Another useful addition is the ability to copy only selected portions of text. Rather than copying an entire message when you only need an address, verification code or specific sentence, users can long-press again and adjust the selection handles to highlight just the text they want.

The redesigned menu makes everyday message actions more accessible, while selective text copying adds another practical improvement for users who frequently work with information received through Google Messages.