Google Messages app missing ‘Reply’ option in notifications for some Pixel & other Android users

Have you been facing an unusual bug where the ‘Reply’ option is missing from Google Messages notifications? Well, you’re not alone, as more Google Pixel and other Android device users have been reporting exactly the same thing in the last few days.

Typically, Google Messages notifications include options such as ‘Reply’, ‘Mark as read’ or ‘Remember in 1 hour’. However, those affected by this mysterious bug only have the ‘Mark as read’ option available, with no way to resolve it.

You can still reply by entering the Messages app through the notification, but you lose the convenience and speed of responding directly from the notification, in addition to forcing you to exit the app you are using at that moment.

Interestingly, the issue where the Google Messages ‘Reply’ option is missing in notifications seems to be affecting only a section of users, with no apparent explanation or reason. The first reports related to the bug emerged last week from owners of Pixel devices, but then users of devices from some other brands joined the complaints. For now, all you can do is wait for Google to send a fix, but if you are one of those affected by the bug and you have the Google Messages stable app, you can try to sign up for the beta to see if it is already resolved there or to receive the fix more quickly once it is available.