Change Messages notifications & settings (2024)

When you get a message, you can choose to be notified with a:

  • Sound
  • Vibration
  • Reminder

You can also choose how:

  • Your device sends pictures and videos
  • Google Messages handles advanced tasks

Important:Some of these steps work only on Android 8.0 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

Change global settings

Change default notification settings

  1. Open Google Messages Change Messages notifications & settings (1).
  2. Tap your profile photo or icon Change Messages notifications & settings (2) Settings.
    • Stop notifications from other apps: Tap Notifications Change Messages notifications & settings (3) Turn off All "Default settings" notifications.
    • Get notifications on your phone from Google Messages: Tap Notifications Change Messages notifications & settings (4) Turn on Incoming messages.
    • Stop sound notifications when you send messages: Turn off Hear outgoing message sounds.

Learn how to change options for specific people.

Change your default messaging app

  1. Open your device's Settings app Change Messages notifications & settings (5).
  2. Tap Apps Change Messages notifications & settings (6) Default apps Change Messages notifications & settings (7) SMS app.

Change font size

To make your font size smaller or larger:

  1. Open your device's Settings app.
  2. SelectAccessibility Change Messages notifications & settings (8) Text and display.
  3. Select Font size.
  4. Use the slider to choose your font size.

Change display size

To make items on your screen smaller or larger:

  1. Open your device's Settings app.
  2. SelectAccessibility Change Messages notifications & settings (9)Text and displayChange Messages notifications & settings (10)Display size.
  3. Use the slider to choose your display size.

Change advanced settings

Change how Google Messages sends pictures, videos & audio files

  1. Open Google Messages Change Messages notifications & settings (11).
  2. Tap your profile photo or icon Change Messages notifications & settings (12) Settings Change Messages notifications & settings (13) Advanced.
    • Send a message or a file separately to each person in a conversation: Tap Group messaging Change Messages notifications & settings (14) Send an SMS reply to all recipients and get individual replies (mass text).
    • Automatically download files in messages: Turn on Auto-download MMS.
    • Automatically download files when data roams: Turn on Auto-download MMS when roaming.

Use simple characters/Change number to send files

  1. Open Google Messages Change Messages notifications & settings (15).
  2. Tap your profile photo or icon Change Messages notifications & settings (16) Settings Change Messages notifications & settings (17) Advanced.
    • Change special characters to simple characters: Turn on Use simple characters.
    • Change the phone number you use to send files: Tap Phone number.

Change bubble notification settings

You can keep conversations accessible with bubble notifications. When you pin bubbles to your home screen, you can get messages from contacts in fewer steps.

  1. Open Google Messages Change Messages notifications & settings (18).
  2. Tap your profile photo or icon Change Messages notifications & settings (19) Settings Change Messages notifications & settings (20) Bubbles.
  3. Choose:
    • Get notifications for all conversations: Tap All conversations can bubble.
    • Get notifications for certain contacts: Tap Selected conversations can bubble.
    • Stop all notifications: Tap Nothing can bubble.

Tips:

  • Change bubble settings for specific contacts: Open a conversation Change Messages notifications & settings (21) Tap More options Change Messages notifications & settings (22) Details Change Messages notifications & settings (23)Notifications.
  • Dismiss a notification: Touch and hold the bubble, then drag it to the bottom of your screen.

Additional controls for notifications, blocking & group messages

  1. Open Google Messages Change Messages notifications & settings (24).
  2. Open a 1:1 conversation or group message.
  3. Tap More Change Messages notifications & settings (25) Change Messages notifications & settings (26) Details or More Change Messages notifications & settings (27) Change Messages notifications & settings (28) Group details.
    • Stop message notifications: Tap Notifications Change Messages notifications & settings (29) Silent.
    • Get priority notifications: Tap Notifications Change Messages notifications & settings (30) Priority.
    • Block messages from the phone number or group: Tap Block & report spam Change Messages notifications & settings (31) OK.
      Optional: Check the box next to “Report spam” to send a spam report.
    • Add people to the conversation: Tap Add people.

Turn off link previews for websites

Link previews from websites can be turned on or off:

  1. Open Google Messages Change Messages notifications & settings (32).
  2. At the top right, tap your profile photo or icon Change Messages notifications & settings (33) Settings Change Messages notifications & settings (34) Automatic previews.
  3. Turn off Show all previews.
  • Optional: To turn off previews when you send or get a link in a conversation, tap Show only web link previews.

Tip: Only share links you trust. URLs can include personal details, like your location or bank information.

Learn how the previews for links are created.

Turn off dark theme

Important: These steps only work on Android 10 and up.

  1. Open your device's Settings app Change Messages notifications & settings (35).
  2. Tap Display.
  3. Turn Dark theme on or off.

Turn off Verified SMS

Important: Verified SMS isn't available in all countries or regions.

When Verified SMS is on, Google verifies messages from participating businesses.

Turn off verified SMS:

  1. Open Google Messages Change Messages notifications & settings (36).
  2. Tap your profile photo or icon Change Messages notifications & settings (37) Settings Change Messages notifications & settings (38) Verified SMS.
  3. Turn off Verify business message sender.

Learn how Verified SMS works.

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