But with so many messages and conversations, it can be hard to find a specific message that you are looking for. Maybe you want to recall a funny joke that your friend sent you, or a link to an important document that your colleague shared with you. Or maybe you just want to see all the messages that contain a certain keyword or phrase.
Fortunately, Google Messages has a built-in search feature that can help you find any message in a matter of seconds. You can search for messages by sender, conversation, date, file type, or link. You can also use filters to narrow down your search results and find exactly what you need. Here’s how you can use the search feature in Google Messages:
How to access the search feature in Google Messages
To access the search feature in Google Messages, you need to follow these steps:
- Open the Google Messages app on your Android device.
- Tap on the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner of the app. This will open the search screen.
- Enter the text that you want to search for in the search box. You can also use voice input by tapping on the microphone icon next to the search box.
- As you type, you will see suggestions for contacts, conversations, and keywords that match your query. You can tap on any of these suggestions to see the relevant messages.
- Alternatively, you can scroll down to see more options for filtering your search results. You can filter by sender, conversation, date, file type, or link. Tap on any of these options to see the messages that match the criteria.
How to filter your search results by sender
If you want to see all the messages that were sent by a specific person, you can use the sender filter. To do this, follow these steps:
- After entering your search text, tap on the “From” option under the search box. This will show you a list of contacts that match your query.
- Tap on the contact that you want to see the messages from. This will show you all the messages that were sent by that person, both in one-to-one and group chats.
- You can also tap on the “All” option at the top of the list to see all the messages from all the contacts that match your query.
How to filter your search results by conversation
If you want to see all the messages that were said in a specific conversation or space, you can use the conversation filter. To do this, follow these steps:
- After entering your search text, tap on the “Said in” option under the search box. This will show you a list of conversations and spaces that match your query.
- Tap on the conversation or space that you want to see the messages from. This will show you all the messages that were said in that conversation or space, regardless of who sent them.
- You can also tap on the “All” option at the top of the list to see all the messages from all the conversations and spaces that match your query.
How to filter your search results by date
If you want to see all the messages that were sent during a specific date range, you can use the date filter. To do this, follow these steps:
- After entering your search text, tap on the “Date” option under the search box. This will show you a calendar where you can select the start and end dates for your search.
- Tap on the start date and then tap on the end date. This will show you all the messages that were sent between those dates, both in one-to-one and group chats.
- You can also tap on the “Today” option at the top of the calendar to see all the messages that were sent today.
How to filter your search results by file type
If you want to see all the messages that include a specific file type, such as documents, spreadsheets, slides, and more, you can use the file type filter. To do this, follow these steps:
- After entering your search text, tap on the “Has file” option under the search box. This will show you a list of file types that match your query.
- Tap on the file type that you want to see the messages from. This will show you all the messages that include that file type, both in one-to-one and group chats.
- You can also tap on the “All” option at the top of the list to see all the messages that include any file type that match your query.
How to filter your search results by link
If you want to see all the messages that include a link, such as a website, a video, or a map, you can use the link filter. To do this, follow these steps:
- After entering your search text, tap on the “Has link” option under the search box. This will show you a list of links that match your query.
- Tap on the link that you want to see the messages from. This will show you all the messages that include that link, both in one-to-one and group chats.
- You can also tap on the “All” option at the top of the list to see all the messages that include any link that match your query.
How to use the search feature on the web
You can also use the search feature on the web, if you have signed in to the Google Messages website (messages.google.com). The process is similar to the app, except that you need to click on the search box instead of tapping on the magnifying glass icon. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+F or Cmd+F to access the search feature.
The search feature on the web also allows you to use the search operator in:chats to find messages in Chat & Gmail. For example, you can type in:chats hello to find all the messages that contain the word hello in Chat & Gmail.
The search feature in Google Messages is a powerful and convenient way to find any message in your messaging history. You can use it to quickly recall important information, revisit memorable moments, or simply enjoy browsing through your conversations. Try it out today and see what you can find!
