Samsung Messages App Too Small

[Naffykins]

Hi there! Can we talk about the Messages app? 🙏

I don't know if anyone else is annoyed by this but when trying to send text messages, the area in which you type is so small! 

 

There are so many icons dominating the typing area that the view of what you're writing is tiny!

It feels very claustrophobic and due to having ADHD I really need a wider perspective of what's been written so I can reread before I send. (Currently having to write out longer texts in the Notes app then paste and send in Messages app)

I just wondered if there are any accessibility options to make this area larger? To turn off the menu items circled in red (seems they're all on the keyboard menu bar anyway 🤔).

I've tried changing any relevant settings I can find but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Thanks so much

[Linda89]

@AndrewL: What is the Google Messages landing page and how do I access it? In Google Messages itself, I can't find my profile on the top right or anywhere else.

Also, I know how to make the font smaller - but how small do I need to make it to stop the way-too-narrow texting column from being incredibly annoying?

In the old messages app - the Samsung Messages app, I guess - when you started typing in a text, the icons disappeared, making the typing column wide enough. In Google Messages, the icons stay there, keeping the typing column extremely narrow.

[AndrewL]

@Linda89: The landing page is the page that you see when you first open the Google Messages app. Your profile may appear as one of your initials, and should be visible to the right of the magnifying glass symbol in the upper right hand corner (above your conversations). 

When attempting to recreate your issue, I found that when I tapped on the text input field, and began to type, the '+' symbol and 'Camera/Gallery' symbol to the left of the field was removed, and replaced with an arrow ('>'). Have you tried checking the Google Play Store for any available updates for the Google Messages app which might address the issue you're facing? 

[Linda89]

@AndrewL: Thanks. I found my profile and settings this time but Pinch to zoom conversation text was already toggled on. 

I did make the text smaller and that helped but only a little. When I copied and pasted a 4-line message into the text box typing area, it was 9 lines, more than double the number of lines once the text is sent, and requiring an excessive amount of scrolling up if I want to reread a text before hitting Send. 

I also went to the Google Play Store but I didn't find any available updates. It just said the app was already installed on my phone. Your experience in trying to recreate my issue is what should happen but it doesn't happen on my phone. The icons just stay there.

[AndrewL]

@Linda89: I'm not too sure why this might be happening. Can you confirm the model number and current Android version of your phone (located in Settings > About phone)? If you turn the phone to Landscape mode, do you notice an improvement i.e. do the icons remain to the left of the input field when you begin typing? This may also serve as a workaround, as the input field should get significantly larger with the extra screen space. 

[Andrew_Mac]

Hi AndrewL, thank you for your interest in this discussion. It's great to get a moderator involved. I've also had the same problem for a number of years. The box in which to type SMS replies only allows around four lines. Yes, the font can be reduced to a hard to read small size, but this is an unhelpful solution. The box needs to expand as text is typed, yet still allow scrolling up to see the message to which a reply is being made. Could the problem please be escalated. It also appears on other community help websites such as redit. Many thanks.

[Linda89]

Hi AndrewL, The model number of my phone is S24+ and the Android version is 14.
Thanks for suggesting trying Landscape mode. There's plenty of typing room in Landscape mode, and even more room when the icons - the one on the extreme left and the two on the extreme right - disappear, which they do when my keyboard appears. So, this might work for some people, but I'm not comfortable holding my phone this way with one hand and typing with the other. Maybe if I were a two-thumb typist, it would work, but I'm not. I use one finger to either type or swipe.
Any idea why the icons disappear in Landscape mode but not in Portrait mode? 
Thanks.

[Intrepid]

Google is incompetent.