What other texting apps to use other than Google?

[BlondieGranny]

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?

[Mujibar]

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.

[BlondieGranny]

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?

[Mujibar]

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.

[BlondieGranny]

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

[Mujibar]

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

[BlondieGranny]

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?

[Mujibar]

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.

[AAbbott]

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.

[desappointed]

Who cares about RCS!