Google Messages rolls out new swipe for timestamps & reply gesture - 9to5Google

Following the long-press menu , Google Messages is widely rolling out new ways to access timestamps and direct replies.

Previously, you could tap on a message bubble to see the sent time, read receipts, and RCS lock icon. Meanwhile, swiping left would let you send a direct reply.

A redesign today changes all that. To see timestamps, you can now swipe left anywhere in a conversation. This also shows the RCS encryption status. Being able to see all times instead of having to tap the bubbles individually is an improvement.

To reply to a message, you now have to swipe right on the bubble. Some amount of precision is required. You can still tap the message to see the read receipts.