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Google Messages is slowly taking over Samsung and Pixel users' screens

A new Google Messages bug has popped up, and while it's mostly harmless, it's kind of annoying.The bug has replicated the Google Messages icon, so there are now two app icons in the app launcher's suggestions and app drawer. The two icons are located next to each other, and either one of them can be used to launch the application. Interestingly, the app icon doesn't appear twice on home screens and in search results.This problem affects the Google Messages beta version 20250811_03_RC00 and has shown up on Pixel and Samsung devices. The code sleuths over at Android Authority dug deep into the problem and found out what was happening. Apparently, this is a result of duplicate declarations by Google, tricking the system into thinking that there are two apps to display, even though both icons open Google Messages.

A couple of users who uninstalled and reinstalled the app are now stuck with three icons. One user exited the beta and uninstalled updates, and the extra icon disappeared.

I updated the app today, and there were two icons, I uninstalled and installed it again, and there are three icons now lol

—ImrozChauhan, Reddit user, August 2025

This looks like a harmless bug and doesn't appear to impact the app's functionality in any way. Google will likely eradicate the bug with the next update, but for those who don't like a cluttered interface and are very particular about how their app drawers look, it's surely a nuisance.

That's the downside of enrolling in beta programs, though, and usually, people who sign up for them are used to problems like this.If you can't stand it, you may want to revert to the stable version of the Google Messages app. Google regularly ships new features to its messaging app, and the updates sometimes introduce bugs. For instance, earlier this month, the beta version was plagued with a bug that caused it to crash.Like we said, this is a part of the beta experience, and if you want more stability, the beta program might not be for you.