The function in question was introduced for the first time in November 2021, it allowed in the beta version of Google Messages, the sending of videos not as MMS, but via Google Photos. Now, this feature appears to have been removed.
Google Photos and Messages are less integrated than before
The functionality introduced by Big G allowed both the uploading of videos to the cloud, to be sent via a link, and the sending of images from Google Photos directly in the Messages app. In the last few days, the “Google Photos ”menu in the Messages app has lost the option “Always send images via text link (SMS/MMS)”; it is therefore no longer possible to select images and send them via the cloud.
It is not clear at the moment whether this is a bug or a considered choice, considering that the Google support page for the function only refers to the possibility of “sending sharper videos”; the company may also have encountered poor use of the option by users, and opted for removal accordingly.
The problem of video compression implemented by the MMS protocol had already been tackled with the passage of the Messages app to the RCS protocol (Rich Communication Services, protocol to replace SMS, enriching them with especially multimedia functions); we will see if Big G will decide to reinstate this functionality.
