Struggling with slow Google Messages photo transfers? Google says new update will make 'noticeable difference'

Two Android phones on a green and blue background showing Google Messages
(Image credit: Google)

Are you experiencing issues with Google Messages? If so you’re not the only one, as on Reddit users have been reporting issues with receiving incoming photos and videos, experiencing either slow media transfers or complete failures.

Google Messages users have been sharing their experiences in a series of Reddit posts (see below), detailing issues with slow app performances when trying to load attachments, and images and videos appearing blurry, or not loading at all.

Extremely Blurry Images Received over RCS from r/GoogleMessages

Google has acknowledged the issues in a support post, saying, “We know many of you have been experiencing frustrating issues receiving media in Messages, especially slowdowns and failures. We understand how disruptive this can be, and we appreciate you bringing it to our attention.”

Google says it's addressing the issues by rolling out updates to improve Messages’ media performance, adding that, “Our team has been actively working on this, and we've recently rolled out updates aimed at significantly improving media receiving performance. We're hoping you'll see a noticeable difference now. However, we also know that issues can be complex, and we're committed to getting this right”.

Sporadic "Can't load attachment" errors wMMS on Google Messages from r/GoogleMessages

Google hasn’t revealed exactly what it’s doing to implement these changes, but according to The Verge it could simply be making backend server changes, as users haven’t been required to install anything new.

Whatever fixes Google is implementing it appears they've yet to reach all users, as while some have reported improved media performance others say they're still experiencing problems, and Google has encouraged Messages users to keep reporting any issues they face.

These aren't the only issues Google has run into this week, as Chromecast users are currently experiencing a weird 'untrusted device' bug that blocks casting.

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Rowan Davies
Editorial Associate

Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for TechRadar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across TechRadar's categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers. 

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