Google introduced the ability for Messages to automatically group SMS and RCS conversations last year, but the categories are now gone for some users.
This issue results in the All, Personal, and Business category segments disappearing below the search bar as if the feature had not been enabled. In Settings > Organize Messages, the toggle for “View messages by category” and the ability to select “View primary category” are gone, although the “Auto-delete OTP files after 24 hours” is still there.
The problem has arisen in recent weeks and is not related to any specific version of Google Messages, although the affected Pixel devices we checked are on the experimental channel.
These auto-organizing categories, which make use of machine learning, date back to mid-2021 and first appeared in India before coming to other countries at the beginning of 2022. Google originally said This feature “will be rolled out first to English users around the world.”
The disappearance of categories in Google Messages doesn’t affect all users, but it may be gaining traction. It’s unclear if this is a bug, or if Google is removing the ability due to a lack of use. The latter is usually accompanied by a notification of some kind.
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