Google Messages beta rolls out the one feature Smart Reply users have been waiting for

Google Messages has been working on a number of quality-of-life improvements. We’ve spotted features like real-time location sharing and Trash functionality in the works. We’ve also previously spotted Google finally addressing a key annoyance with the Smart Replies feature: a new “Tap to Send/Draft” option, which is now rolling out to Google Messages beta users.

Currently, on the stable version of Google Messages, Smart Replies, or AI-generated responses relevant to the last received message, appear right above the message compose box in the chat. When you tap these suggested responses, they’re sent directly, which can be annoying for a few reasons. One, accidental taps would send the message directly, and sometimes users may want to edit or add to the suggested message.

Google Messages beta 20260303 includes the new Tap to Send/Draft option, which gives users more control over how Smart Replies are handled, as spotted by 9to5Google. The new setting is present in Settings > Suggestions > Tap to Send.

With the toggle off, tapping on Smart Replies instantly sends a message. With the toggle on, the option changes to Tap to Draft, and tapping on Smart Replies updates your message draft. This adds a second step to the message-sending process, but it makes it harder to accidentally send a message and gives users an opportunity to edit or add to the message.

Tap to Send/Edit is currently rolling out only in the beta branch. We’ll keep you updated when the feature begins rolling out in the stable branch of Google Messages.