Google Messages Homepage Redesign: iPhone-Style Pinned Chats, Bottom Search and Gemini Shortcut

• Google Messages is testing a redesigned homepage with pinned contact photos, bottom search and a Gemini shortcut.
• The new pinned-chat area shows large photos without message history or last-message previews.
• The redesign is rolling out gradually to beta testers, and its components may appear separately.

The Google Messages Homepage Redesign is being tested in the Android beta channel, bringing a noticeable change to the app’s main screen. The updated layout focuses on three elements: large photos for pinned chats, a search control at the bottom and a Gemini shortcut in the top corner.

The rollout is piecemeal and is not yet widely available to all beta testers. Some users have received the complete redesign, while others are seeing only selected parts. The changes also arrive after Google introduced a new Google Messages app icon.

Google Messages Gets iPhone-Style Pinned Chats

In the redesigned homepage, pinned chats no longer simply appear at the top of the conversation list. Instead, large contact photos for pinned conversations sit above all other chats. The area uses the existing background layer that currently contains the Google Messages logo, search control and account menu.

This arrangement pushes the rest of the conversation list further down the screen. Similar to iMessage on iOS, the pinned area displays contact photos without message history or a preview of the last sent message.

Search Moves to the Bottom of the Screen

The search control is becoming a centred floating action button (FAB), placed alongside the new chat button. Its appearance changes depending on whether the user is scrolling through conversations.

• When scrolling, a pill-shaped “Search” button appears while the other button is minimised.
• When not scrolling, search is shown as a circular magnifying glass icon alongside a “Start chat” pill.

The transition uses a smooth animation. Moving search to the bottom is also intended to make the controls easier to reach with one hand.

Gemini Shortcut Moves to the Top Corner

The Gemini floating action button is replaced by a Gemini button in the top-right corner, next to the profile image. The placement follows the design used by Google Workspace apps on desktop and mobile, moving the shortcut away from the main conversation controls.

The homepage redesign is separate from Google’s recent profile sharing and customisation changes in Messages, which are covered in our Google Messages profile sharing and customisation update.

Google Messages Homepage Redesign Rollout

Google is enabling the redesign in stages within the beta channel. The pinned-chat layout, bottom search and corner Gemini shortcut are being rolled out separately, so the interface may differ between beta testers.

Users can visit the official Google Messages page for information about the app. There is currently no indication that the redesigned homepage is broadly available beyond the beta rollout.

Conclusion

The Google Messages Homepage Redesign introduces prominent pinned contact photos, a bottom search control and a Gemini shortcut beside the profile image. As Google rolls out the components separately to beta testers, the complete interface may take time to appear across devices.

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