Google Messages has become good enough that most Android users no longer need a third-party texting app, but several of its default settings still work against the people using it. Engadget published a guide on November 7, 2026, listing five settings worth turning off to improve the experience. The recommendations cover read receipts, message sounds, bubble chats, the Gemini assistant and Nudges.
Read receipts show when a message has been opened, and the guide argues that letting one person disable them puts both parties in a worse position. Users who keep receipts on give up the ability to deny they saw a message without any assurance the other person will do the same. The article notes that no one would expect a letter to report when it was opened, and that certified mail uses return receipts only for consequential items. The setting can be turned off by tapping the profile picture on the app's home screen, selecting RCS chats and switching off read receipts.
The app also plays sounds when messages are sent or received while it is open, which the guide describes as among the worst offenders among system sound effects. The article calls the choice a matter of personal preference but notes that people nearby may also hear them. To silence them, users tap the profile picture, open Settings and switch off a toggle labeled Hear outgoing and incoming message sounds.
Bubble chats, which Google introduced with Android 10 in 2019, let a conversation collapse into a small circle pinned on the screen. The feature was borrowed from Meta, which added bubbles to Facebook Messenger in 2013 as part of its Facebook Home product line. The guide argues bubbles offer no real benefit on a traditional phone, since the conversation still fills the screen when opened and shows less content than normal. Users can turn them off by going to Settings, then Bubbles, and selecting None.
Google has also placed its Gemini chatbot inside Messages, where the guide says it serves little purpose beyond letting users chat with Gemini inside the texting app. The article points out that Android owners already have the fuller Gemini app available and raises privacy concerns, noting Google uses a patchwork of privacy policies that makes it difficult to know which one applies to a given feature. The setting can be disabled under Gemini in Messages in Settings.
Finally, the guide addresses Nudges, which show how long it has been since a user replied and suggest following up, as well as offer birthday reminders. The article says the reply prompts add clutter to a phone that already sends constant notifications, while the birthday reminders are less bothersome and have proved useful. Users can switch off either type by opening Settings, then Suggestions & Actions, then Nudges.
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