Overview
- Beta build 20260303 (noted as 20260303_00_RC00) adds a setting to switch Smart Reply behavior from tap to send to tap to draft.
- The control appears under Settings > Suggestions as a toggle that inserts a suggested reply into the text field rather than sending it immediately.
- Tap to send remains the default behavior, and users must enable the tap-to-draft option to change it.
- The feature is limited to the Google Messages beta with no announced timeline for a stable rollout.
- Android Central reports hands-on access on a Pixel 10a, following 9to5Google’s discovery, as part of broader quality-of-life testing in Messages.