Google is working on a new messaging app that will help users chat with their friends while also looking up information.

The new messaging app will allow users to send messages to chatbots that will answer questions and look up things on Google for them.

The new "smart" messaging app will help Google compete with Facebook's two messaging apps, Messenger and WhatsApp, Entrepreneur reports.

Users will be able to search for things on Google without leaving the app or having to open up a search page with a web browser. Instead, they can ask questions to chatbots, which will deliver results directly through the app.

Google's messaging apps Google Hangouts and Google Messenger have not been as popular as other chat apps. Most users have preferred Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp for mobile messaging. The new improvements to the messaging app could give Google a chance to compete with Facebook, while also continuing to show that they are the dominant search engine in the world.

There is no official announcement on the new messaging app from Google yet, but Android Community reports that the app will be supported by several software programs and chatbots.

Google might be eliminating the text features from Google Messenger, which would probably upset many of the users who send free SMS messages using the service. The new chat app would have some text messaging features, at least allowing users to text the chatbots when they have questions they want answered by Google. An external SMS feature might be in the works for the new app, which would explain its removal from Google Messenger.

Nick Fox, an executive at Google, has been leading the team working on the new chat app. Fox has long worked on incorporating chatbots into messaging programs in the past as well.

The team has completed the research phase on the improved messaging app, but the final product is not yet ready for release.