Google has been making a bunch of improvements to the Android Messages app, which serves as the default SMS app on many Android devices (note that many manufacturers include their own app for that purpose). Back in June, the company introduced the ability to send and receive messages from a PC, and the mobile app itself has recently received a dark theme.
The next major update to the app focuses on the search experience, which currently just lets users search for contacts and messages in their messaging history. Soon, the search feature will try to be useful as soon as you click it, suggesting relevant contacts you may be looking for or specific items such as photos and places you"ve shared with others in the app.
Once you select a contact, the experience will bring up conversations you"ve had with that person, including group conversations, as well as content you may have shared with them specifically, such as photos, addresses, links, and more.
This is somewhat similar to the way Microsoft revamped the search feature in the Outlook mobile apps earlier this year, which also highlights people and files before you start searching for them. It seems to be a growing trend for search features to become a hub for everything users may be looking for in an attempt to save users time by presenting relevant results right away.