Google Messages is trying out a common-sense sharing menu change

Google Messages is constantly competing with other messaging apps, and it looks like sharing habits are where the app is currently being honed. We recently spotted Google working on a way to forward multiple messages and images at once, and now another sharing-related tweak appears to be showing up for at least one user.

In a post on Reddit, a Google Messages user shared a screenshot of a new menu that appears when sharing something to multiple contacts. The updated flow offers two options at the bottom of the screen: Send to a group and Send separately.

That should make the choice much clearer when you’re firing off a link, photo, or other item to multiple people. Sometimes you want to start a proper group chat around whatever you’re sharing. Other times, you just want to send the same thing to a few people individually without creating a whole new conversation that nobody asked for.

The feature also appears to have some useful logic built in. According to the Reddit poster, if the contacts you select already match an existing group chat, Google Messages will take you to that existing conversation rather than creating a duplicate group. The poster also says that if you try to create a group containing both RCS and MMS contacts, Messages prompts you to remove the MMS numbers and try again.

This might not be something you can try for yourself just yet. It looks like a limited test or server-side rollout, so updating the app may not make the option appear. Still, it’s the kind of logical change that makes so much sense that it’s most likely just a matter of time. Let us know if the comments if you’re seeing the new sharing options.