Google has become known for the myriad messaging apps that it's offered over the years, and a new report says that you'll soon be able to message your friends with another Google app.
Google may be adding messaging support to Stadia. The folks at 9to5Google dug into a new version of the Google Stadia app that was released this week and found several references to messaging in its code, all of which are being worked on behind an internal flag.
Some of the references found include "Message History panel title", "createChatMessage", "DirectChatMessageList", and "ConversationViewModel". There's also a new privacy setting in the app that says "Privacy setting defining who can message you." and "Send you chat messages".
On the one hand, there are sure to be some folks who roll their eyes at Google adding messaging to another one of its apps given the company's history with messaging apps. On the other hand, though, it does kind of make sense that a gaming service like Stadia would have its own messaging. Services like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network have their own messaging, and so this addition will make it easier for Stadia players to chat with each other.
There's no word on when this messaging feature might go live in the Stadia app, but today's report points out that the chat support still looks to be in an early state so it might be a while before it launches. Still, it definitely does look like Google is working on adding chat support to Stadia at some point, so if you're a Stadia user wishing you had messaging that's something to get excited about.
