Google Messages will auto delete your OTP messages, but the service will work on these Android phones – Times of India

Google is rolling out an update to its SMS client on Android smartphones, Google Messages. The new feature that aims to keep users inbox free of clutter will automatically delete one-time passwords (OTPs) 24-hours after they’re received. This means users need not spend time deleting them manually. The feature was announced last year at Google I/O 2020. Google is rolling out the feature first to India in the coming weeks. There’s no information about when it will be introduced in other regions.
Will it work on all Android smartphones
The feature will be available on smartphones running Android 8 and above.
The feature needs to be enabled
However, the new feature does not come by default. It is optional and can be managed in settings. Users will need to enable it. To do the same, just tap ‘continue’ when you see the suggestion prompt to confirm your selection in the Message apps settings. Also, before this, users need to update their Google Messages app or download the latest version of the app.
According to the search giant the sorting of messages will work similar to Gmail. Google says it’s using a machine learning model to sort messages into categories like personal, transactions, OTPs, and offers. The sorting process should work offline too, as Google says that it takes place on the device.
Rival to Apple‘s iMessage, Google Messages is the company’s official app for texting (SMS, MMS) and chat (RCS). It is part of Google Communications Suite (phone, contacts, messages). However, unlike iPhones, Google Messages app is not the default messaging service on most Android phones. It needs to be downloaded from Google Play Store.
All OnePlus phones since the Nord come with the Google Communications Suite, which means Google Messages app is default. This is same in Google Pixel phones. However, in these devices too, users need to update the app to access latest features.