Google Messages is preparing to borrow this playful Google Meet feature

Summary

• Google Messages is adding a new feature with lenses or filters similar to Snapchat.
• The filters seen in development are identical to existing filters in Google Meet, however, Google Messages currently has only nine effects available.
• It is unclear when the feature will roll out, but functional code for filters was discovered in a beta version of the app.

Google Messages is easily one of the best text messaging apps for Android users, offering a range of features like support for Gemini to craft messages, multi-device connectivity with your Google account, automatic spam detection, and more.

We already know that several important under-the-hood improvements are currently in development, including the platform getting ready for a large influx of Apple users, and adding support for Messaging Layer Security (MLS) to enhance end-to-end encryption in one-on-one and group chats.

But not all updates to the messaging platform need to be so serious and monumentally improve the app.

A fun, new addition was spotted in Google Messages version 20240708 by Android Authority that suggests the platform is borrowing a Google Meet feature, which was first popularized by Snapchat. Yes, we’re talking about lenses, as they’re referred to on Snapchat, or filters, as they’re referred to on Google Meet.

The feature essentially works within the in-app camera, allowing you to add a 3D overlay on your or a different subject’s face, mimicking their facial expressions. The new feature shows up when you initiate the camera interface from within the app, positioned on the left of the camera shutter button. The feature’s icon will look like a silhouette of a person with a + on it, exactly the way it looks like on Google Meet.

Pulling up the feature on Google Meet also lets you fiddle with Background and Appearance, letting you change your camera feed’s color temperature, blur your background, and adjust your video for low-light. These don’t appear to be available within the feature seen on Google Messages.

Only a few filters to begin with?

Source: Android Authority

Google Meet offers several filters, some that take up the whole feed, some that only add an overlay to your face, and some that only add specific elements like hats, bunny ears, glasses and a mustache, and more. There are roughly 35 filters available in Meet, and it is currently unclear if all of them will make their way to Messages.

As of the leaked build, nine effects have been spotted, namely Bunny, Glasses, Dinosaur, Film Noir, Glowing hat, Runner, Portrait touch-up, Strawberry, and Valentine’s Day panda. It is currently unclear when the feature might roll out, but you can try it out early if you’re comfortable installing a beta version of the Google Messages app.