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Google Messages has an app-specific switch for expressive effects. Open Google Messages → profile picture → Messages settings, then turn off Show expressive animations. This reduces effects in Messages without changing animation settings in other apps.
What the setting changes
Google calls the control Show expressive animations, not “turn off all animations.” It targets expressive messaging effects such as animated emoji and screen effects. Google’s Messages help page describes these features; reporting by 9to5Google found that turning the setting off also removes or reduces reaction effects.
Expect animated emoji to appear as ordinary emoji and screen-filling effects to stop appearing in your Messages view. The switch is not a promise that every movement in the app disappears: navigation transitions and other ordinary interface motion may remain, and 9to5Google observed some small residual movement with reactions.
Photomoji is a separate feature. Google documents it separately, and 9to5Google reported that it remained available with expressive animations turned off. The setting changes your own Messages experience; do not assume it prevents other people in a conversation from seeing effects on their devices.
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Turn off expressive animations
- Open Google Messages.
- Tap your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
- Tap Messages settings.
- Turn off Show expressive animations.
This is an app-wide Messages setting, not a control inside an individual conversation. To restore the effects, return to the same screen and turn the switch back on.
If you can’t find the switch
First make sure you are in Google Messages’ own Messages settings, rather than Android’s Settings app. Update Google Messages through your device’s app store, then close and reopen the app or restart the phone. The control may not appear in every app build or device configuration; Google’s help page does not specify a minimum version or guarantee availability on every device.
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If it is still missing—or you want to reduce motion across the phone—Android offers a broader option: Settings → Accessibility → Color and motion → Remove animations. Labels and placement can vary by device or Android version. Google lists this as an alternative, but it is not equivalent to the Messages-only switch.
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Choose the right control
| Control | What it affects | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Show expressive animations in Messages | Expressive effects in Google Messages | Reducing Messages effects while keeping other apps’ animations unchanged |
| Remove animations in Android Accessibility | Animation behavior across the device and potentially multiple apps | People who want a broader motion-reduction setting or cannot access the Messages switch |
If effects still appear
- Return to Messages settings and check that Show expressive animations is still off.
- Close and reopen Google Messages, then test an animated emoji, a screen-effect phrase, and a reaction separately.
- Consider whether the motion is a normal interface transition rather than an expressive messaging effect. The in-app setting does not necessarily remove all interface motion.
- If your goal is to suppress motion throughout the phone, try Android’s Remove animations accessibility control.
The setting is an established Google Messages option, not a new 2026 feature. It was reported in beta in May 2024 and broadly appearing in stable and beta releases by June 26, 2024; the version numbers reported at the time are historical rollout details, not current requirements. See the early rollout report and the June 2024 report.
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