Send and read text and voice messages in Google Messages

You can send and receive text messages with friends and contacts on Google Messages.

Important: Some of these steps only work on Android 6.0 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

Start a conversation

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Tap Start chat.
3. In 'To', enter the names, phone numbers or email addresses that you'd like to message. You can also choose from your top contacts or your whole contacts list.

Send a message

1. Tap the message box.
2. Enter your message. If you'd like to save it as a draft and go back, tap Back .
3. When you’ve finished, tap Send . 

Tip: Find out how to share contacts in your messages.

Send a voice message

1. Tap the message box.
2. Tap the microphone .
3. Record your voice message.
   • The voice message is automatically saved as a draft, so you can listen to it before you send it.
   • The voice message isn't sent until you tap Send .
4. Tap send .

Important: If you turn on Live Caption, transcription is available on web. Learn how to turn on Live Caption.

Forward a message

After you open a conversation, you can send it to a new contact at any time.

1. Open Google Messages .
2. Open a chat.
3. Tap and hold a message.
4. Tap More Forward.
5. Choose your contact.
6. Tap send .

Read text messages

To read a message that you've just got, swipe down from the top of your screen and tap New message .

You can also open any conversation in Google Messages to read it again.

Mark messages as read and unread

• Mark all messages as read: Tap More   Mark all as read.
• Mark a message as unread:
  1. In the conversation history, touch and hold the conversation that you want to mark as unread.
  2. At the top, tap Mark as unread.

Play a video or recording

1. To play a video or recording that you received, tap a conversation.
2. Next to the video or recording, tap Play .

Call someone while in Google Messages

1. To call someone, tap a conversation.
2. At the top right, tap Call .

Read archived messages

1. To read archived messages, open your list of conversations.
2. Tap More   Archived.

Tip: Learn how to change your notification settings.

Related resources

• Send photos, videos or voice messages in Google Messages
• Block someone in Google Messages
• Edit group message options