Google Messages is bundled by default on some of our favoriteAndroid smartphones. The last few weeks have been fairly exciting for users of the texting app, with Google deciding to expandMagic Compose outside the US. In late November, Messages picked upa trove of new featuresto commemorate reaching 1 billion RCS users on the app. But it seems like not all of the additions went live during the time, and we’re now getting a sneak peek at one such attribute.
A prominent source of Google app leaks,AssembleDebug, has managed to discover a novelselfie GIFcapability. The name is fairly self-explanatory and enables users to capture a quick video using the phone’s camera, which can then be turned into a GIF and sent within the conversation. Writing forThe SpAndroid, AssembleDebug reveals that the feature may have existed for a while and that it could still be a work in progress.
Selfie GIFs can be enabled by flicking the@bugle.enable_selfie_gifsflag, with AssembleDebug crediting Telegram userJhowkirafor finding a way to trigger it for the first time, i.e., by long pressing the camera icon within the chat.
The selfie GIF timer (left), Preview page (middle), The end result (right)
The feature was reportedly found within Google Messages beta versionmessages.android_20240104_01_RC00.phone_samsung_openbeta_dynamic, which is meant forSamsung phones. But given that the Messages app also exists on other Android devices, this shouldn’t be exclusive to Galaxy devices.
Once the flag is flipped and the feature is triggered via the camera icon in the Messages app, users will be greeted with a dedicated UI showing a circular camera frame. There’s also a button to easily switch between the front and back cameras.
It’s currently unclear whether there’s an additional button to activate the selfie GIF feature within this new UI or if the video recording is automatically activated after long pressing the camera icon. Nevertheless, a 3-second timer sets off to give you enough time to adjust the camera angles. This is accompanied by the text “Get ready for your close up” just above the frame. Once the short video is recorded, you’re able to then tap the familiarSendbutton to share it immediately or theRestartbutton on the left to recapture the video/GIF.
If you’re wondering why some of the UI elements appear out of place in the screenshots above, it’s apparently due to the use of a custom ROM on the test device. Since this feature was manually enabled using a flag, we can’t tell when Google will make it more widely available to all Messages users. Regardless, this is one feature that we would love to see on the app, even if its novelty could die down pretty quickly.
