Google Messages for web gets animated emoji, updated branding

After widely rolling out on Android, Google Messages for web has received the updated branding and animated emoji. 

This small change adds the four-color ‘G’ in front of “Messages” in the top-left corner of the web and tablet experiences. It more explicitly associates RCS (and SMS) with Google as the company works to cement its consumer messaging strategy.

Meanwhile, messages.google.com/web and the tablet PWA have picked up up animated emoji in SMS and RCS conversations. This feature started rolling out on Android in June: “One of the emoji I often use, “Grimacing,” gains a shifty-eyed animation, while “Loudly-crying” fully expresses the waterworks.” The animation will loop for a few seconds before ending.

It’s widely rolled out on all other clients but phones (even in the beta channel), though availability has been picking up recently. As part of this change, emoji are no longer housed in a message bubble and appear directly in the background.

More on Google Messages:

• Oppo Find N3 Flip supports select full apps on outer display including Google Messages
• Google Messages tests new conversation picker from share sheet
• Google rolls out Messages homescreen redesign that drops nav drawer
• T-Mobile switching to Google’s Jibe for RCS in Messages app