Google Messages rolling out vertical photo picker gallery

Back in November, Google started testing a vertical photo gallery in Messages for Android, and the scrolling picker is now seeing wider availability.

When you open the photo gallery in a conversation, Google Messages now shows pictures as a grid that you vertically scroll through instead of having to swipe in order to browse. At the left is the same live camera preview, while next to it is a small shortcut to view “Folders.” Your last image is shown below with a larger preview.

Swiping up expands the space with 15 images fully visible. The previous approach offered large square previews, but limited you to six items per view.

As you scroll, you get rounded square FABs in the bottom-right corner to the camera (which still uses the very old, Nexus-era autofocus UI) and folders. 

We first enabled this feature in September and some users received it a month later. As of the latest beta (version messages.android_20230224_04_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic), we’re seeing the vertical gallery across several Pixel phones we checked this morning. 

Meanwhile, we’re seeing wider availability of the RCS chats rebrand.

More on Google Messages:

• Google Messages is finally just calling it ‘RCS’
• Messages changing read and delivered icons, here’s how to read them
• New Google Messages notification icon finally appearing for some
• Vodafone will adopt Google’s RCS in new deal that also puts Pixel in retail stores and more

Dylan Roussel contributed to this article.

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