It's time for a new version of Android Messages. The latest update takes a slightly larger than average jump from v2.5 to v2.7, but no obvious changes to the UI are really popping out. However, the apk did get much smaller with this release, and there are some things visible through the lens of a teardown. We'll keep watching for other changes, but let us know if you see anything.

What's New



Unofficial Changelog: (the stuff we found) Smaller APK

Duo integration

Sending and requesting money Unofficial Changelog: (the stuff we found)

Smaller APK

We just saw it happen a few days ago with a Google Play Music update, and now Android Messages is following in its footsteps by eliminating the bundled micro-APK for Android Wear. This time, the total size of the APK is down a whopping 5.7 MB, or about 30% of its total size.



v2.5: 19,406,686

v2.7: 13,715,449

19,406,68613,715,449

Teardown

Disclaimer: Teardowns are based on evidence found inside of apks (Android's application package) and are necessarily speculative and usually based on incomplete information. It's possible that the guesses made here are totally and completely wrong. Even when predictions are correct, there is always a chance that plans could change or may be canceled entirely. Much like rumors, nothing is certain until it's officially announced and released. Disclaimer: Teardowns are based on evidence found inside of apks (Android's application package) and are necessarily speculative and usually based on incomplete information. It's possible that the guesses made here are totally and completely wrong. Even when predictions are correct, there is always a chance that plans could change or may be canceled entirely. Much like rumors, nothing is certain until it's officially announced and released. The features discussed below are probably not live yet, or may only be live for a small percentage of users. Unless stated otherwise, don't expect to see these features if you install the apk.

New message indicators

If any of your friends have a bad habit of spamming a series of short text messages, it might not always be obvious where the old messages end and the new ones begin. Aside from looking at your last reply, there aren't many easy ways to identify new messages. This is about to get a little easier as Google prepares to give you a count of the new messages when you open a conversation.

strings

<string name="in_conversation_new_message_indicator_text_more">%d+ new messages</string>

<plurals name="in_conversation_new_message_indicator_text">

<item quantity="other">%d new messages</item>

<item quantity="one">New message</item>

</plurals> New Layout:

/layout/new_message_indicator.xml



Money transfers with Google Wallet, Continued...

Update: It's live, see the description above.

When v2.5 of Android messages came out, we saw that it would include a feature to send or request money from your contacts via a text message. While it was was likely that Google Wallet would facilitate this transaction, there was no specific evidence of that until a Google Wallet update came out with clear confirmation. In this update, the Wallet icon can now be found in the resources. This doesn't rule out Tez as a possible option in India, but there's no sign that it will be an option yet.

Also new in this update is the text that you'll actually send over the wire. The messages will include the amount sent or requested, followed by a shortened URL:

"Here's a request for $35. Use this link to send me the money:"

"Here's $35. Use this link to accept the money:"

strings

<string name="money_attachment_request_type_label">Request</string>

<string name="money_attachment_send_type_label">Payment</string>

<string name="c2o_money_request_message_text">Here\'s a request for %1s. Use this link to send me the money: %2s</string>

<string name="c2o_money_send_message_text">Here\'s %1s. Use this link to accept the money: %2s</string>

<string name="c2o_money_only_one_allowed">Can\'t add another money attachment</string> <provider android:name="com.google.android.apps.messaging.ui.money.MoneyAttachmentImageProvider" android:authorities="com.google.android.apps.messaging.ui.money.MoneyAttachmentImageProvider" android:exported="true" android:grantUriPermissions="true" />



RCS support for dual-SIM phones

It seems like Google's focus on supporting dual-SIM phones is heightened lately. Last week's update of the Phone app came with signs that it would see improvements to the dual-SIM support for making calls. Specifically, it would allow you to quickly choose which line would be used for making calls instead of forcing users to open their phone's Settings app to switch between SIMs. Now the Android Messages app appears with new text related to turning on RCS for individual SIMs.

The text doesn't say too much that's interesting, it only provides promo text suggesting that users turn on enhanced messages for a specific SIM, as opposed to the previous text that makes no mention of separate SIMs. It also acknowledges sending messages over Wi-Fi and getting added features like seeing when your friends are typing replies – all pretty standard stuff with RCS.



<string name="conversation_list_rcs_promo_subtitle_multi_sim">Turn on enhanced messaging features on \"%1$s\" (SIM %2$d)</string> <string name="rcs_success_popup_title">SIM %1$d now has enhanced features</string>

<string name="rcs_success_popup_body">Use \"%1$s\" (SIM %2$d) to send messages over Wi-Fi, see when friends are typing, and more.</string>

<string name="rcs_success_popup_got_it">Got it</string>



Download

The APK is signed by Google and upgrades your existing app. The cryptographic signature guarantees that the file is safe to install and was not tampered with in any way. Rather than wait for Google to push this download to your devices, which can take days, download and install it just like any other APK.

Version: 2.7.028