topic Re: Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z in Galaxy S23

What other texting apps to use other than Google?

BlondieGranny — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:46:51 GMT

Is there another app we can download from Samsung or the Play Store ro replace our Samsung Messaging App that IS NOT GOOGLE?

Or will we have to resort to buying a different phone altogether?

Re: BLONDIEA2Z

Mujibar — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:26:34 GMT

A new phone won't help, unless it's an iPhone. All Android phones sold in the US will come with Google Messages. If you want an alternative, there are plenty of texting apps available on the Play Store, but they will only be able to handle SMS/MMS, not RCS.

Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

BlondieGranny — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:29:13 GMT

So our only option is to purchase an iPhone? And does an iPhone have these magical RCS Messages -- whatever they are -- that we've somehow managed to do without all these years?

Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

Mujibar — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:39:15 GMT

RCS is an advanced messaging protocol (which has been around since 2008) that lets Android users have a better messaging experience with iPhone users, among other things. If you don't care about that, download one of the *many* texting apps available on the Play Store. Popular alternatives are Textra, Chomp, and Handcent. The only app you won't be able to use after July is Samsung Messages.

Re: BLONDIEA2Z

BlondieGranny — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:15:27 GMT

I'm just looking at this RCS miracle. And it looks like we can "like" or love or laugh -- but then the entire message that we are "liking" is included in our reply. I actually am in groups with lots of people who have IPhone and I really hate that option. It includes "liked" "loved" whatever, plus the whole message ... for everyone in the group with an iphone! OMG! Who needs all that clutter. I just tap a 👍 ❤️🤮 emoji!

Is THIS what we are losing Samsung MESSAGES for?

Re: BLONDIEA2Z

AAbbott — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:56:26 GMT

You will have to do your own research on other messaging apps, or take a look into one of the 100 or so other posts on this subject for recommendations. Just go to the Play store and read the descriptions and reviews and pick one. This is assuming, of course, that you don't care about RCS, as no other messaging app will have it other than Google. Oh, and RCS is more than just being able to "react" to messages. It improves the quality of multimedia sharing and there is no character limit to texts as there are to SMS, among other features. I suggest you read up on it. It also dramatically improves communication between iPhone users and Android users. If none of that is important to you, use another app. If someone "reacts" to your message, the entire message is not repeated, although you do get a notification that may say "Janie reacted to your message "see you Tuesday"". No one else sees that except you, although the others will likely see the reaction, just like on Facebook.

Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

Mujibar — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:51:12 GMT

You're losing Samsung Messages because Samsung decided to stop supporting it, for whatever their reasons are.

Re: Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

BlondieGranny — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:53:32 GMT

Does iPhone use Google Messaging? Or are they different apps but similar attributes?

Re: Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

BlondieGranny — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:56:10 GMT

AND if either of those are tolerable, can we import our current messages across? I guess if we don't do something with our current Samsung messages, would they be imported into the Google Messages anyway in July?

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

Mujibar — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:58:12 GMT

iPhones use iMessage, which is Apple's proprietary messaging app.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

Mujibar — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:59:55 GMT

All your messages live in a separate database on your phone. Whichever messaging app you download and set as default will be able to access them.

Re: Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

AAbbott — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:03:01 GMT

Messaging apps are just shells to contain and read the messages. Just the same way email readers will collect your email from the servers. It doesn't matter which app, opening another messaging app will display all your messages. In some cases it can take from several hours to several days for the messages to completely populate the new app the first time you open it. Depending on how many years of messages you have, it can take awhile to reindex them. If you want to make sure all your messages survive, as insurance, you can download SMS backup and restore and backup your entire message history or just your most important ones, or anything in between.

Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

BlondieGranny — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:02:01 GMT

or IPhone, if we decide to switch.
Because just using a different app NOW doesn't preclude that app from deciding to go to Google at some point...

Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

AAbbott — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:00:52 GMT

You do have freedom of choice and what to do with the dollars in your wallet. You are free to switch to iPhone, but don't expect to escape Google there either. Their messaging app is even less customizable than Google, and Google is working on improvements.

Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

NoHandle — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:08:04 GMT

Strictly speaking, any other messaging app will work at least until carriers turn off SMS/MMS support altogether.
Samsung's could keep working as an SMS client forever, too, but they were paid off by Google to push all their users towards letting Google analyze even more of their data.

Re: Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

Queenevett — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:22:50 GMT

I agree they had to be paid off for this drastic change to take place

Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

desappointed — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:28:54 GMT

Who cares about RCS!

Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

AAbbott — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:56:31 GMT

If you don't care about it and don't want it, just go to the Play store and choose another app. No one is forcing you to use Google. There are several to choose from, none of which are Google and may contain ads - because that's how small developers survive.

Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

AAbbott — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:59:01 GMT

Paid off by Google? 🤣🤣🤣🤣. And you know this how? Can you provide sources and proof? Or are you just going to continue to spout nonsense and false information?

Re: Re: Re: Re: BLONDIEA2Z

AAbbott — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:59:50 GMT

And, you would be wrong.