Google Messages rolls out new long-press menu with partial copying [Updated]

9to5google.com Oct 2, 2026

Google Messages rolls out new long-press menu with partial copying [Updated]

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Oct 2, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Google Messages has begun a wide rollout of its redesigned long‑press menu after a January test phase. The update replaces the previous top toolbar with a tap‑activated floating menu that surfaces the three most common actions—Remix, Reply and Forward—while other functions reside in an overflow list. New icons accompany each option, and the menu now supports light and dark themes and landscape orientation. Most notably, users can copy only selected portions of a text by dragging within the bubble, addressing a top user request. Additional gestures include a left‑slide to reveal timestamps for all visible messages. The redesign adds background blur and haptic feedback for interaction. The change ships in stable version 20260910_03_RC02 and requires a force‑stop for late adopters.

💡 Why It Matters

· Enabling partial text copying turns chat messages into a more precise tool for extracting information, boosting everyday productivity.

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Google AI Educator Series Launches In Malaysia With Free AI Literacy Training…

Google has launched the Google AI Educator Series (GES) in Malaysia, a free, standards‑aligned AI literacy training program for K‑12 and higher‑education teachers. The self‑paced curriculum offers 15‑ to 45‑minute modules that fit busy schedules, covering lesson‑plan creation, parent communication drafting, and interactive simulation building with vibe coding. Malaysia already leads globally in Google’s Gemini Certified Educators program, with over 200,000 teachers certified. The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education have enabled Gemini for Education across schools and universities, reaching millions of students and educators. Additional updates include Guided Learning for Google Classroom, real‑time progress tracking, and the free Read Along digital tutor with expanded Malay titles.

💡 By offering a comprehensive, no‑cost AI training series, Malaysia positions itself as a regional leader in AI‑enabled education, ensuring teachers can integrate cutting‑edge tools into classrooms immediately.

9to5google.com · Oct 1

Gemini 4 Argon must reverse Google’s AI inertia

Google released Gemini 4 “Argon,” a state‑of‑the‑art AI model, after months of development. The model is currently limited to a trusted cyber‑defender group while undergoing testing, with a broader rollout planned soon. Gemini 4 outperforms its predecessor Gemini 3 Pro and rivals GPT‑6 Astra and Claude Opus 5.5 in benchmarks, offering a 1‑million‑token output limit and enhanced agentic and cybersecurity capabilities. Internal reports suggest coding performance may lag in real‑world use, and pricing will rise to match competitors.

💡 Gemini 4’s launch signals Google’s renewed commitment to frontier AI research, potentially reshaping competitive dynamics in the high‑performance model market. Its advanced capabilities could accelerate secure, large‑scale AI applications, influencing how enterprises adopt next‑generation tools.

pcworld.com · Oct 1

Adios, Gems: Google’s new Gemini skills won’t be paywalled

Google announced that its Gemini “Gems” chatbots will be retired in November, with all personal Gems automatically converted into the newer “skills” feature. Skills, previously limited to the paid Gemini Spark assistant, can now be used by any Gemini user over 18 with a personal Google account. The upgrade adds missing Gem capabilities such as sharing skills, attaching Google Drive files, and linking Gemini Notebooks, and allows skills to be invoked inside any chat by typing “/”. Workspace business, enterprise, non‑profit and education accounts will retain Gems until 2027. The change follows OpenAI’s recent decision to discontinue custom GPTs, signaling a broader shift toward modular AI extensions across major platforms. Google confirmed users may also trigger the conversion manually if preferred, and the new skill framework supports nesting, enabling one skill to call another for complex workflows. The November sunset applies only to personal accounts; Workspace education Gems persist until June 2027, while other enterprise Gems remain active through March 2027. By opening skills to free users, Google aims to democratize custom AI creation without a subscription barrier globally now.

💡 Free access to Gemini skills lets everyday users build bespoke AI tools, rapidly expanding personalized automation beyond paid subscribers.

9to5google.com · Oct 1

Google Home now lets you preview Nest Doorbell ringtones, just in time…

Google has added a ringtone‑preview feature to the Google Home app for Nest Doorbell users. The update lets owners tap a play button next to each standard or limited‑time holiday chime and hear the sound before assigning it, eliminating the need to stand at the door to test tones. The preview option appears in the Doorbell theme menu under Doorbell camera settings and works for both classic and seasonal selections, such as the currently available Oktoberfest theme. Although other holiday sounds will return later in the year, they are not yet active; the Oktoberfest chime will disappear on October 9. The change aims to simplify customization ahead of the upcoming holiday season. Personalization is now a single tap away for all.

💡 By letting users audition doorbell tones in‑app, Google removes a physical friction point, turning a security device into a quick‑customizable home accessory.

techcrunch.com · Oct 1

Google releases Gemini 4 Argon, called its most powerful model yet

Alphabet unveiled Gemini 4 Argon, its latest multimodal AI model designed for coding, research, writing and notably defensive cybersecurity. The system, trained to autonomously locate, validate and patch software flaws, is initially available only to a limited set of Google’s cyber partners through the Fairwind Program. Google engineers already rely on Argon for debugging, codebase migrations and visual analysis of long videos or charts. Benchmark tests cited by the company show Argon outperformed OpenAI’s GPT‑6 Astra and Anthropic’s Fable and Opus models, according to data from Vals, placing it at the top of Google’s AI model index. The launch follows releases from OpenAI and Anthropic, and comes as Google reports its Gemini app surpassing one billion ever global monthly users, matching ChatGPT’s reach.

💡 Argon demonstrates that AI can be weaponized for proactive cyber defense, offering a tangible tool to shrink the vulnerability window that attackers exploit.

androidcentral.com · Sep 30

Google outlines timeline to phase out Gemini Gems in favor of Skills

Google announced a phased replacement of Gemini Gems with a new modular system called Skills. Skills will launch in Google Workspace on October 5, in the Gemini app on October 13, and Gems will begin exiting in November. The new framework lets users capture brand voice, templates, and processes into reusable building blocks, which can be stacked for different tasks. Gemini will auto‑detect applicable Skills, and the format is open, using Markdown for portability. Gems will remain available to business, enterprise, and education accounts until 2027, with final conversion to draft Skills thereafter.

💡 The shift to Skills gives organizations granular control over AI behavior, enabling consistent brand compliance across multiple tasks. It also signals Google’s push toward modular, reusable AI components that can be shared across platforms.