- The true identity of the new shortcut “Codename: Midnight” rolling out to the SMS/MMS/RCS client app “Google Messages” for Android has been revealed.
- An analysis of the app files from the Android “Google Messages” app v20261002_00_RC00 update revealed that new resource code related to “Codename: Midnight” adds a new “Games” shortcut and nine game titles included within that “Games” shortcut.
- In other words, the “Games (Codename: Midnight)” shortcut is a feature that allows users to enjoy mini-games with their chat partners.
In late August 2026, in our original app file analysis report content “App Teardown” on our site “Jetstream,” we reported that resource code related to “Codename: Midnight,” expected to be a new shortcut feature for the SMS/MMS/RCS client app “Google Messages” for Android, had appeared inside the app.
About a month and a half later, the true identity of “Codename: Midnight” in the “Google Messages” app has finally been revealed. We are sharing the details once again through our app file analysis report content, “App Teardown.”
「アプリ解析」
当サイトの「アプリ解析」カテゴリで公開している記事では、最新 Android アプリを逆コンパイルして独自に解析し、今後実装される可能性のある新機能や変更点などをお届けします。正式リリース前の新機能や変更となるため開発段階の未確定な情報も含まれますが、Android アプリの今後のアップデート動向をいち早くキャッチできる、ほかにはない当サイトオリジナルコンテンツです。
当サイトオリジナルの「アプリ解析」コンテンツを見逃さないよう、ぜひ Google の「優先ソース」に当サイト「Jetstream 」を登録してください。
As a result of analyzing the app files from the Android “Google Messages” app v20261002_00_RC00 update released on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, we confirmed that resource code related to “Codename: Midnight” newly adds a “Games” shortcut and nine game titles included within that “Games” shortcut. The nine confirmed games are “Chess,” “Checkers,” “Pool,” “Darts,” “Basketball,” “Cup Pong,” “Four in a Row,” “Crazy 8s,” and “Word Scramble.”
Additionally, a heading for the screen introducing the feature under the name “Midnight” has been added. Furthermore, the UI image of the menu that appears when tapping the “Games” shortcut has also been clarified based on the newly added “Games (Codename: Midnight)” related resource code.
<string name="midnight_generic_title">Game</string>
<string name="midnight_item_2608fh7uq35lg_title">Word Scramble</string>
<string name="midnight_item_2vk12geg22fao_title">Chess</string>
<string name="midnight_item_2vopcb90gual8_title">Cup Pong</string>
<string name="midnight_item_3l3ki3p7ematg_title">Checkers</string>
<string name="midnight_item_3to83834i78n0_title">Pool</string>
<string name="midnight_item_5elsbfb9jued8_title">Basketball</string>
<string name="midnight_item_707ochkvam7l8_title">Four in a Row</string>
<string name="midnight_item_7dfca68huq5p0_title">Crazy 8s</string>
<string name="midnight_item_7vtnrtrku7v1o_title">Darts</string>
<string name="midnight_launcher_screen_title">Games</string>
<string name="midnight_marketing_hard_stop_title">Midnight</string>
<string name="midnight_shortcut_title">Midnight</string>“Games (Codename: Midnight)” will be housed within the shortcut window in the message composition screen alongside shortcuts like “Gallery,” “Camera,” “GIF,” and “Live Location.” In other words, the “Games (Codename: Midnight)” shortcut is a feature that allows users to enjoy mini-games with their chat partners.
Please note that the rollout of the “Games (Codename: Midnight)” shortcut in the Android “Google Messages” app has not yet been confirmed.
Google Messages App Link
