Google Messages has introduced dozens of flashy updates over the last few years. We have seen RCS improvements, AI-driven features, and more. Yet, despite all this progress, one of its oldest and most persistent annoyances has remained: the inability to copy just a single piece of a message. Whether you needed to record a specific address or a phone number from a long paragraph, the app forced you to copy everything or nothing. That said, it looks like Google Messages will finally receive a fix for the frustrating issue thanks to a more granular text selection and copy system.
Selective text copying finally arrives to Google Messages beta
The current process in Google Messages is a test of patience. When you long-press a message, the app copies the entire text to your clipboard. Most users then have to paste that wall of text into another app just to trim it down. While some workarounds exist, like using the “Recents” screen on certain devices, none feel like a natural part of a modern messaging experience.
Recent findings from Android Authority in the app’s latest beta version hint at the improvement. According to the report, Google is testing a granular selection tool for Messages that allows you to highlight only the words you actually need. This “selective copy” feature works through the redesigned context menu. When you long-press a message, the text inside the pop-up menu becomes interactive, allowing you to drag and select specific portions just as you would in a web browser or an email.
Catching up with the competition
It is somewhat surprising that Google Messages has taken this long to implement a feature that is already standard in apps like Telegram and iMessage. Until now, Messages was a bit of an outlier. Interestingly, the app already uses a similar logic for one-time passwords (OTPs). There’s a dedicated button that appears to copy only the code. Extending this granular control to all text is a logical step that many have requested for years.
The new menu still has the “Copy” button for when you really want to fetch the whole message. This two-pronged approach keeps the app fast for quick copies and accurate for more detailed tasks.
Currently, the feature is only available in some beta versions right now and not to the general public. Before giving millions of users access to these improvements, Google first tests them quietly. There is no official release date yet, but the fact that it is in open beta suggests that it will be available to more people soon.
The post Google Messages Finally Fixes Its Most Frustrating Text-Copy Issue appeared first on Android Headlines.
