Gemini in Google Messages lets you chat with Gemini inside the Messages app on an Android phone, to draft texts, brainstorm ideas and plan events without opening another app. As of October 2026 you need an Android phone, the latest Google Messages, RCS chats switched on, a personal Google Account and to be 18 or over, and Google warns that these chats aren't end-to-end encrypted.
It looks like any other conversation in your Messages list. That's the convenience, and it's also the catch. Here's what you need, how to start, what to keep out of it and how to switch the button off if you'd rather not see it.
What Gemini does inside the Messages app
Google pitches it for drafting messages, brainstorming, planning events or simply having a chat. Its own example prompts give you the flavour:
- Help me draft a short message to check in with a friend I haven't spoken to in a while.
- Suggest a 3-course vegetarian dinner menu that's impressive but manageable for a novice cook.
- Come up with a few conversation starters for a social event where I barely know anyone.
For a business owner, the drafting is where it earns its place: a polite chaser to a client who's gone quiet, a reply to a supplier you've been putting off, a tactful way to move a meeting. You can add a photo to your prompt from the attach media screen, and you can use apps inside the chat as well.
Two limits worth knowing. Google Home controls aren't available in Gemini in Google Messages, so it won't switch your lights off. And it doesn't have your precise location: it works from the general area of your IP address or the home and work addresses in your Google Account.
Requirements checklist
| Requirement | What Google says, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Phone | An Android phone |
| Language | Your phone set to a supported language (Google lists dozens, from Arabic to Vietnamese) |
| App | The latest version of Google Messages, from Google Play |
| Account | A personal Google Account you manage yourself; not Family Link, not Google Workspace |
| Age | 18 or over |
| Chats | RCS chats turned on |
| Country | Over 165 countries when I checked, released gradually |
The account row matters most for business users. If your phone is signed in with a company Google Workspace account, the Gemini chat won't be there for you. And it's Android only: Google's requirements start with an Android phone.
Start a chat with Gemini in Google Messages
- On your Android phone, open Google Messages.
- Tap the chat with Gemini, or tap Start chat, then Gemini.
- The first time, follow any on-screen instructions. You can tap a suggestion above the message field to explore.
- Type your question or prompt and send it.
- To add a photo, tap Show attach media screen and pick the image.
To rate an answer, touch and hold the response and tap Good response or Bad response at the top. If you'd rather work in the full app, with longer chats and more features, here's how to get the Gemini app.
The encryption catch, and what to keep out
Google puts this in a bold warning on its own help page: chats with Gemini aren't end-to-end encrypted. It sits in the same app as your private conversations, so it's easy to forget you're talking to a Google service rather than to a person.
Your Gemini chats from Messages also land in your Gemini Apps Activity, marked with a Google Messages label. Google's wider privacy guidance for Gemini asks you not to enter confidential information you wouldn't want a reviewer to see or Google to use to improve its services. Put those two facts together and the rule writes itself. I'd keep these out of a Gemini chat in Messages:
- Passwords, login codes and payment details
- Client names alongside account or contract details
- Health information, yours or anyone else's
- Anything you've signed an NDA about
Turn the Gemini button off or delete the chat
To hide Gemini from Messages altogether:
- At the top of Google Messages, tap your profile picture or initials.
- Tap Messages settings, then Gemini in Messages.
- Turn off Show Gemini button.
Deleting is where people get caught out, because the two routes don't do the same thing:
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| Where you delete | What it removes | What it leaves behind |
|---|---|---|
| Google Messages: open the Gemini chat, tap More, then Delete conversation | The whole Gemini chat, from Messages and from Gemini Apps Activity | Nothing, but you can't pick out single prompts |
| Gemini Apps Activity: tap Delete activity item next to a Google Messages prompt | Specific prompts and responses | The chat in Google Messages and any Android backup of your messages |
That second row is the trap. If you clean up in Activity and stop there, the conversation's still sitting in Messages. If a deleted chat still shows on another device, Google says to check the phone you deleted it on is online with RCS chats on. For the wider activity settings, see my guide to deleting Gemini history, and if you want Gemini off your phone entirely, here's how to turn Gemini off.
When I'd use it, and when I wouldn't
I'd use Gemini in Google Messages for drafting: the quick reply you're overthinking, three ways to say no politely, a list of ideas while you're on the train. Skip it for anything private or client-confidential, because it isn't end-to-end encrypted and it's saved to your activity. For longer work, the full app on your phone is the better tool, and my Android guide covers that. Gemini features change often, so check Google's own help page for the latest.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I get Gemini in Google Messages?
Use an Android phone with the latest Google Messages, RCS chats on, a supported language, a personal Google Account and be 18 or over. Then open Messages and tap the chat with Gemini, or Start chat, then Gemini.
Is Gemini in Google Messages end-to-end encrypted?
No. Google's help page states that chats with Gemini aren't end-to-end encrypted, so I'd keep passwords, payment details and client-confidential information out of them.
Why can't I see Gemini in Google Messages?
As of October 2026 it isn't available with a Family Link or Google Workspace account, needs RCS chats on and an Android phone, and is still being released gradually across over 165 countries.
How do I remove the Gemini button from Google Messages?
Tap your profile picture or initials, then Messages settings, then Gemini in Messages, and turn off Show Gemini button.
Does deleting Gemini activity delete the chat in Messages?
No. Deleting prompts in Gemini Apps Activity doesn't delete the chat from Google Messages or any Android backup. Deleting the conversation in Messages removes it from both places.
