Google Messages is working on a new feature that will show you group chats on the New Conversations page as you type into the "To:" field. Previously, when you searched for a keyword, only one-to-one chats where the keyword was used would appear.
The new feature was spotted under testing in the Google Messages beta v20240820_00_RC00, according to 9To5Google. As per the screenshots, the Group chats section will appear below the individual contacts when you enter a search keyword in the "To" field on the New Conversations page.
Users will also be able to search for group chats using a search term related to the group"s name or its participants. Do note that this is just another way of searching chats based on the group"s name or its participants. Notably, Google Messages"s search functionality already lets you do the same.
The page will show all the corresponding conversations in the new chat section, along with a preview of the last message related to the search term. Tapping on the result will take you to the group chat where the search keyword was used.
The New Conversations page saw a change in October 2023, when Google Messages got rid of the "Top Contacts."
The feature is currently limited to the Google Messages beta testers. It is expected to be available in a future update along with some other features that Google Messages is currently working on.
Recently, it was reported that Google Messages is working on removing the YouTube PiP player, which allowed users to view the shared YouTube video in a PiP (Picture-In-Picture) mode.
Google is also working on redesigned read receipts and new animations for the Google Messages app, as well as dual-SIM support for RCS chats. This feature is currently being tested in the Google Messages beta.