Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is removing a new Messages feature that made it easier to unsubscribe from automated business texts for users in the U.S. and Spain.
- The feature added a prominent unsubscribe button to chats, which sent a “STOP” command for the user after they provided a reason for unsubscribing.
- It’s unclear why the feature is being removed only in the U.S. and Spain but not other countries.
Businesses, charities, and political campaigns send millions of automated text messages daily. While many find these messages useful, others view them as unwanted clutter. In April, Google Messages introduced a feature to help users easily unsubscribe from these texts, but the company is already sunsetting it for users in some countries.
I first spotted the feature in early April as a new prompt at the bottom of my chats with businesses, which asked if I wanted to “unsubscribe to stop receiving messages.” Tapping the button launched a confirmation sheet asking for a reason, after which the Google Messages app would send a “STOP” command on my behalf.
This feature was particularly helpful because, while many services let you opt-out by replying “STOP,” not all users are aware of this option, especially when it isn’t explicitly mentioned in the messages. By adding a persistent unsubscribe button, Google made the opt-out process much more discoverable.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Some businesses may not have been pleased with the change, however, as Google has now announced it is reverting it for users in the U.S. and Spain. For users in both countries, the unsubscribe option will disappear from the bottom of chats with businesses using RCS. In the U.S., it will also be removed from the bottom of SMS/MMS chats from businesses using short codes, though it will remain in the context menu. For users in Spain, however, the option will be removed entirely from RCS business chats, including from the context menu.
According to Google, businesses will still receive unsubscribe requests from users on Google Messages versions older than 20250518.01. This implies the feature was removed in version 20250518.01 and later, so the button may already be gone if you’re on a recent update. I can confirm it is already missing for me in the U.S.
The targeted removal in the U.S. and Spain — while the feature remains in Brazil, France, Germany, India, Mexico, and the UK — suggests its reversal is not due to a bug. It’s possible the change was prompted by an uptick in complaints from businesses that saw a surge in users unsubscribing once the option became more prominent, but we can’t say for sure. Another possibility is that users complained about the button causing them to inadvertently unsubscribe from important updates, as one user pointed out in the comments of our previous post.
