Google Messages is working on a new feature that allows users to select and copy a portion of a message, rather than the entire text, making it easier to extract specific information.
The feature, discovered through an APK teardown by Android Authority, is expected to roll out soon. Currently, long-pressing a message in Google Messages only offers a “Copy” option that copies the entire message. While this works for short texts, it becomes cumbersome with longer messages that contain specific details like addresses, OTPs, or links. Users have had to rely on workarounds, such as selecting text from the Recents screen on Pixel phones.
The new feature introduces a redesigned context menu that appears when a user long-presses a message. This menu displays the full message content along with “Copy,” “Star,” and “Forward” actions. The significant change is that the message text within the menu is now selectable, allowing users to drag and highlight specific portions and use Android’s system-level selection menu to copy only the required information.
Although the feature is still in testing and not yet available to all beta users, it is likely to be rolled out more broadly after further testing, following the typical pattern of Google Messages updates.
