Your least favorite Google Messages feature was a clear favorite in our poll

Google Messages is one of our clear favorites when it comes to Android messaging solutions, but even Google doesn’t get everything right. Over the years, the messaging platform has introduced a lot that has gone right, including RCS, end-to-end encryption, and newer features like Scam Detection. But not every single addition has been a home run.

Last month, we asked you how you feel about the app’s ever-growing feature set, and which ones are your least favorite. As it turns out, you had a clear favorite when it came to picking your least favorite.

The poll in question was part of an article highlighting Google Messages features that we turn off, and it attracted 1,144 votes. And while it offered five different options to choose from, and a sixth option for anything we might have missed, one feature managed to get almost 50% of the votes: the Gemini button.

556 respondents (48.6%) voted the Gemini button as their least favorite Google Messages feature, and there are valid reasons for that.

For starters, the Gemini button occupies prime real estate on the app. It floats above the “Start a new chat” button and is easy to mistakenly tap. More importantly, though, it’s redundant. Tapping the button starts a new conversation with Gemini, but there’s little reason to head to Google Messages just to use the chatbot. Google already offers a more feature-rich dedicated Gemini app for that.

The functionality isn’t completely useless, as it can help you draft messages or a quick reply, but that’s mostly a non-issue if you’re only using the app to casually communicate with friends and family. Thankfully, it’s easy to reclaim the spot occupied by the Gemini icon in Google Messages. Head to Google Messages, tap the profile icon, select Message settings, tap Gemini in messages, and then tap the Show Gemini button toggle.

All your other gripes

Other Google Messages features didn’t even come close to the disdain users have for the Gemini button. Floating chat bubbles came in at 205 votes (17.9%), while follow-up reminders took third place with 154 votes (13.5%). The former is a convenient feature that lets you reply to new messages without having to open Google Messages, while the latter reminds you to respond to a message thread that has gone quiet for a while.

Users consider both of those features to be more of an annoyance, at least judging by the poll results.

Profile sharing isn’t popular with a subset of users as well, with 124 voters (10.8%) suggesting that it’s their least favorite Google Messages feature. Understandably, not everyone wants their name and profile picture visible to all casual contacts, and disabling sharing prevents that. Lastly, outgoing message sounds attracted just 63 votes (5.5%), making them the least-disliked of the five named features in our poll.

The remaining 42 respondents (3.7%) suggested that their least favorite Google Messages feature wasn’t listed on our poll. Reader austidlpd43 complained about the lack of timestamps on individual messages.

The time stamps need to be restored at each sent and received message

On the other hand, user lautre questioned why there’s no way to remove the @mention functionality.

Our poll only represents the opinion of our readers, not the broader Google Messages user base. Nevertheless, such overwhelming results are telling. Thankfully, Google appears to be working on making Google Messages’ Gemini button a little less intrusive, at least when it comes to placement.