The Google Tez app was launched in India back in September last year. It’s a mobile payments platform that works on both Android and iOS without requiring the use of NFC. It relies on Audio QR which are ultrasonic sounds to enable money transfers. It appears that Google now wants to expand the functionality of this app by building a new chat feature for it.
Users in India can link their bank accounts with Google Tez and use the platform to make purchases online, in physical stores, and even send money in-person to other users. The platform is linked with the country’s Unified Payments Interface and supports all major banks.
The app has been a hit in India ever since it was released last year with Google reporting that it had 12 million users in December 2017. It continues to improve the app’s functionality and just last month enabled users to pay their utility bills within the app itself.
Several Tez users have revealed that they’re now capable of sending and receiving messages from contacts in the app. Google has confirmed to Gadgets 360 that it has added a new feature to Tez that allows users to “send simple messages back and forth.”
Users who have got access to this feature will now see a new chat icon next to the Pay and Request buttons in the app. A simple tap opens up the messaging interface which even offers the ability to block certain people.
Google Tez users in India can likely expect this feature to be rolled out gradually for all of them in the coming days.