I hated this Android texting feature for seven years — but Android 17 finally fixed it

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Android 17 is shaping up to be one of my favorite Android updates in recent years. The changes Google is making, while small, all address some long-standing bugbears of mine.One such tweak has made Smart Replies a feature I want to use rather than one I try to avoid at all costs.As a refresher, Smart Replies are the suggested responses you’ll see in your notification shade when you receive a message. Google added Smart Replies to our phones back in Android 10, so I’ve been avoiding them like the plague for almost seven years.