Google Messages may soon let you mention members in group: How it works

Google is testing a mentions feature in Messages, allowing users to tag people in group chats - even if their notifications are muted

Google Messages is reportedly starting to roll out the ability to mention people in group chats, a feature that lets users tag someone directly to get their attention. According to a report by 9to5Google, the option is now appearing for some users, and tagged members will receive a notification even if they’ve muted the group.

 

Hints of this feature first surfaced in April, with reports suggesting Google was working on bringing mentions to RCS group chats. Now, with several users on Reddit sharing screenshots of the feature in action, it appears that Google has begun public testing of the feature. The report says that mentions have started showing up in Google Messages beta version 20251103_00_RC00, though the feature seems limited to select users for now.

 

How does this work

According to 9to5Google, the feature activates automatically once it’s available on your smartphone. Typing the “@” symbol inside a group chat pulls up a menu showing the list of participants you can tag. Tapping a name inserts it into the message.

 

Interestingly, the name that appears after the “@” symbol isn’t taken from anyone’s Google account or profile — it reflects how you have saved that contact in your own phone. This means if you’ve saved someone with a nickname or a personalised label, that same name will appear in the group for everyone when you mention them.

 

The report notes that users can also edit how this name appears before sending the message, including removing parts of it. Once the tagged message is sent, the mentioned user will be alerted even if they’ve muted the conversation.

The rollout appears to be happening gradually, and Google has not yet officially announced the feature.