Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Messages is moving closer to completely removing the convenient QR code pairing method for its desktop web app.
- In the v20260511 beta version of the Android app, the built-in QR code scanner option has vanished entirely.
- Users will be forced to link their devices and access the web app exclusively via their Google account credentials.
Google Messages’ web app has been warning users that it won’t allow QR code pairing for much longer. Users will instead have to sign in using their Google account credentials. It seems the change will soon extend to the Android app as well, so you might have to get used to signing in with your Google credentials.
With Google Messages v20260511 beta, we’re no longer seeing the QR code pairing option within the app.
We’re still seeing the QR code pairing option in the web app, but it seems Google intends to completely sunset this pairing method, as users will no longer be able to scan the QR code from the Messages app on their phone. Effectively, they will have to use the Google account login method to sign in to Google Messages on the web.
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Google hasn’t yet shared a timeline for when the QR code pairing option will completely go away, but you should start getting used to signing into Messages on the web with your Google credentials.
⚠️ An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
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