Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Messages v20260320 beta contains code to restore Ultra HDR support, which was removed during a 2025 redesign.
- The updated feature renders Ultra HDR brightness directly in chat thumbnails, rather than only in the full image preview.
- A new “Copy” option is also being tested for voice message transcripts, allowing users to easily save text to their clipboard.
Google Messages added Ultra HDR support for images in RCS chats back in 2023. This feature allows users to send and receive Ultra HDR images with a preserved gainmap, with Google Messages showing brightened images in the image preview screen. This feature was quietly removed in 2025, but it seems Google now wants to bring back the ability to send and receive Ultra HDR images, as the feature has been spotted once again.
Even back in 2023, when the feature was rolled out, no one initially noticed that users could send and receive Ultra HDR images. This was primarily because users had to tap the image to see the Ultra HDR effect, while the thumbnail in the chat (wrongly) appeared as a standard image.
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In Google Messages v20260320 beta, we’ve spotted code that not only restores Ultra HDR image support but also adds the Ultra HDR effect to the thumbnail preview, supporting the feature correctly this time.
AssembleDebug / Android Authority
In the image above, both phones are running the same Google Messages v20260320 beta. The first phone does not have the Ultra HDR code enabled, so it shows an ordinary thumbnail. The second phone has the Ultra HDR code enabled, and you can clearly see a brighter thumbnail, indicating that Google Messages is now rendering the image as Ultra HDR within the conversation screen itself. Naturally, the brightness of Ultra HDR carries over to the main image preview as well.
It remains to be seen whether Google will roll out this corrected feature, as sudden brightness changes on the conversation screen caused by Ultra HDR images could be very distracting and annoying. Apps that support Ultra HDR often give users an option to opt out of the feature, so Google could explore that. Some phones, like Google Pixels, also let you control Ultra HDR brightness and even turn it off completely, but not every phone supports this, hence why Google should consider keeping the feature optional in the app.
Google Messages could also let you copy voice message transcripts
Within the same Google Messages app release, we’ve spotted code that enables copying voice message transcripts. Here’s what the feature looks like in action currently:
When this feature rolls out, users will see a new “Copy” option when they long-press the voice message transcript. As the name implies, “Copy” copies the transcript to your clipboard, and you can paste it into any standard text field. The screenshot above is darker than usual due to technical issues on our end — users should have the usual experience when the feature rolls out.
⚠️ An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
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