Google Messages is testing a faster way to switch between phone numbers in the middle of a chat, and it’s the little change we didn’t know we needed for users managing two lines from one device. According to early beta testers, a new long-press shortcut in the compose field will now present “Switch SIM,” offering fewer taps when trying to send someone a text from your non-primary phone line.
What Changed and Why It Matters for Dual-SIM Users
Earlier this year, Google discreetly parted ways with the SIM selector in its compose bar and stashed it in the contact profile panel instead. Several months ago, that converted a once-in-a-while fluid workflow into an unnecessarily multi-step detour: open profile, find the SIM selector, pick your line, and then head back to the conversation. For dual-SIM or dual eSIM users who separated personal and work messages — or travelers who paired a local data line with a home number — all that friction could add up.
The new gesture moves the toggle closer to where you want it. Long-press in the compose box, tap “Switch SIM,” and you’ll be taken directly to the picker. It still opens the profile selector rather than immediately flipping lines, but you’ve saved yourself a few steps, and you won’t be digging through menus while a message is only half written.
This is more than convenience. “It’s a confidence feature,” Taplin says. “People want to know when they answer the phone that they’re being billed and seeing caller ID with the right number. When the toggle is hidden, errors occur — messages escape on the wrong line or users are too skittish even to respond.”
The New Switch in Beta: Faster SIM Changes in Messages
In Google Messages beta, when you long-press on the message compose field, a context menu will appear with “Switch SIM.” Tapping it takes you directly to the SIM picker linked with that conversation’s contact. Pick your line, and return with a single backstroke — the app saves your draft so that you can send it off at once.
It looks like a server-side rollout to recent beta builds of Google Messages, so not all testers may receive it at the same time. It does require a device with two active lines, however, either through dual-SIM, dual eSIM, or SIM plus eSIM. Availability may vary by device model and region, as with many Google app experiments.
If you live on your second number — a business line it’s safe to assume you only keep when the office lights are lit up — this shortcut makes the cognitive load of having to remember where in Settings that toggle is less taxing.
It’s particularly useful if you’re in a busy group thread, so it can save you from the embarrassment of accidentally mixing work and personal banter.
A Small Fix, but with Space to Improve Dual-Line Use
The update addresses the biggest inconvenience — distance from the compose field — but it’s not one-tap. Good refinements could be the instant toggle from the context menu, a persistent per-thread line indicator in the compose bar (to avoid changing what was set on another conversation), and better defaults so that it remembers for each contact or group which last-used line was selected.
Other platforms provide useful patterns. On iOS, it’s possible to assign a default line per contact and have an obvious label in the composition field when sending a text message. A similar transparency in Google Messages would be good for this kind of dual-line owner as eSIM uptake increases and carriers promote flexible line management.
What This Means for RCS and Multi-Line Messaging
Google has positioned Messages as its one-stop texting shop, complete with RCS features such as typing indicators, high-resolution media, and end-to-end encryption. The company noted that RCS has passed 1 billion monthly active users, and simplifying dual-line workflows is a small step towards ubiquity. In many Asian and European markets, dual-SIM hardware comes as standard — and even in the U.S., flagship phones increasingly support dual eSIMs.
But as cross-platform RCS support gets better and more users end up connecting with a single app that does both personal and work messaging, removing friction around the line you’re sending from becomes a user-experience win by keeping people on Google Messages instead of pushing them outside to third-party options.
How to Try It and What’s Coming Next for Messages
To give the shortcut a shot, sign up for Google Messages’ beta program in the Play Store and then make sure you have two active lines listed in your system settings. Not every tester will notice the change right away, though; Google often turns on features through phased server switches. If it’s live for you, long-press in the compose box during any thread and check for “Switch SIM.”
That’s a good course correction that recognizes real-world use. The next logical move is straightforward: start making the switch instant and glanceable. Until then, at least dual-line users should find texting from a second number significantly less annoying.
