As we wait for Magic Compose, Google Messages is getting a small quality-of-life addition that lets you quickly mark as read/unread by swiping in the main conversation list.
Previously, the two available swipe actions let you archive or delete, which always felt a bit too easy from the app’s homescreen but was great for spam. You could also disable swiping entirely.
With beta version 20230515_01_RC00 (via Android Police), some Google Messages users are now seeing a “Mark as read or unread” option that lets them quickly triage their inbox. The ability to mark read or unread is not new but previously required long-pressing a conversation and opening an overflow menu.
This is much more convenient and joins “Mark as read” in the Android notification sheet. As always, both swipe directions can be set to the same action. We’re seeing the new swipe action on several Pixel devices running the Messages beta today.
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