Google Messages gets rid of a thorn in its side. Will you appreciate this change too?

The Google Messages app is one of the most used clients for sending text messages on Android, yet it has long lacked one basic function. Users could not select and copy only a portion of a message’s content – it was either the whole message or nothing. This is now finally changing.

End of frustrating copying

In the new beta version 20260306 of the Google Messages app, the option for selective text copying has appeared (as reported by Android Authority). Simply long-press on a message and then drag to select the specific part you want to copy. The “Copy” button for copying the entire message, of course, remains.

This seemingly trivial feature will significantly simplify working with one-time passcodes (OTP), package tracking numbers, or links in longer messages. Until now, it was necessary to copy the entire text and manually delete the unnecessary parts.

When will the feature reach everyone?

Google is currently gradually rolling out the new feature to beta testers – some already have it, others do not, even though they are using the same app version. This indicates a server-side activation. When the feature will arrive in the stable version for all users is not yet clear.

In the meantime, Circle to Search can be used as an alternative, which allows you to select and copy any text on the screen (personally, I use this trick along with on-screen text translation almost daily). Of course, this requires an extra step, which is activating the search mode itself by circling.

Did the previous copying of entire messages bother you?

Sources: Android Authority, Android Police