Google Messages should soon be getting a welcome upgrade: the ability to mention other users in group chats and ping them. Similar to the @mention format popularized by Twitter and now found in other messaging programs like WhatsApp or Telegram, the feature is a quick and easy way to draw the attention of a particular person in what could be a busy group chat.
A first look at this new mention feature has been shared by Android Authority, which dug through the latest beta version of Google Messages, v20250511, to enable mentions and test out the new function. It works much as it does in other messaging programs — you enter a “@” symbol followed by the name of the person you want to mention, and an autocomplete will show you options of members in a current group chat to make typing easier and faster.
When you’ve sent a message with a mention in it, the recipient will see their name highlighted. Presumably, once the feature is fully enabled, recipients will also get a notification that they’ve been mentioned in a group chat, although Android Authority notes that the notification doesn’t function right now in the beta version.
As well as mentions, there are other new features expected to come to Messages soon too, like the ability to send links or QR codes to invite new users to a group chat, and the ability to snooze notifications for various increments of time. With the recent addition of an unsend function in the form of the “Delete for everyone” option, Messages is getting a whole bunch of new updates to keep it in line with modern user expectations for a messaging app.
It’s not yet known when the mentions feature will finish up in beta and be rolled out to all Messages users, as it hasn’t been officially announced by Google yet.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.
Apple's next cheaper iPhone could get a brand-new processor while keeping its most stubborn display compromise. Digital Chat Station tips the iPhone 18e for a 2027 release with a 2nm A20 chip and a 6.12-inch OLED screen still limited to 60Hz.
The rumored camera setup includes a single 48MP rear camera and a possible 24MP selfie camera. There's new hardware to consider, but buyers hoping Apple would extend that upgrade generosity to smoother scrolling could be disappointed.