Observed Signal · Aug 7, 2026 · Technical Release · Source: t3n · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Google Messages fixes long-press menu and partial copy
Google has updated its Messages app to redesign the long-press context menu and allow partial text selection inside messages. The new long-press menu consolidates actions (reply, forward, share) into a single view, adds a ‘Select More’ option, and applies a background blur when opened. Users can now press and hold a word to enable a resizable text selection box to copy parts of a message — previously only whole-message copying was possible. A beta tester discovered the changes and shared them on Reddit; the rollout has not reached all beta testers yet. The article was published on t3n on 2026-08-07.
This is a technical release from a major platform (Google). UI and UX changes in a widely distributed messaging app can affect user engagement and in-app behaviours relevant to in-app advertising and messaging-based interactions.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Google redesigned the long-press (context) menu in Google Messages to show reply, forward and other actions in one place.
- Google Messages now supports partial text selection and copying within a single message; previously only full-message copy was possible.
- A beta tester discovered and shared the new menu on Reddit; not all beta testers have received the update yet.
- The article reporting these changes was published on t3n.de on 2026-08-07.
Connected Companies & Entities
8 Entities mapped“Now Google has made improvements to its messenger service (Google Messages)....”
“Google Messages trails competitors like WhatsApp and the Facebook Messenger, which are offered by Meta Platforms....”
“Google Messages trails competitors like WhatsApp, the Facebook Messenger and Telegram, as a Statista graphic shows....”
“This article was published on the German technology publisher t3n (t3n.de)....”
“Google Messages trails competitors like WhatsApp, the Facebook Messenger and Telegram, as a graphic from Statista shows....”
“The article notes external content from TargetVideo GmbH that complements t3n.de's editorial offering....”
“A beta tester discovered the update and shared his find on Reddit....”
“Photo credit in the article: (Photo: Tada Images/Shutterstock)....”
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