Thumbs DOWN to Google Messaging

[cre8tivlymade]

I am very disturbed with the Google Messaging switch. I tried it & it does NOT compare to Samsung Messaging! The RCS feature is not needed. Sure one can send emoji responses on a message like iPhone but if that's what one desires, GET AN IPHONE! It only works when the receiving party uses the same RCS feature on their Android phone anyway. The overall features on the Samsung Messaging app has way more personal customization features that make each & every chat/group more visible & organized. I will stick with Samsung Messaging until forced to switch on ALL platforms.

[TheFourthJester]

Same, then the switch for me might be to apple instead of Google messages. They're not Apple, so they shouldn't try to be apple, otherwise people will have little reason to choose android over it anymore

[useraYJDOCfVmu]

Why am I being forced to switch to Google messaging. The main reason I picked Samsung was for the choices available. 

PLEASE KEEP THE SAMSUNG MESSAGING APP

[CEParsons]

Hi there, welcome to the Members community!

I understand your frustration. It can be difficult to switch to a new app from your preferred one, especially when you hadn't planned on doing so and you feel you are being forced to transition.

Unfortunately, this forum is not directly monitored by anyone in charge of decision-making at Samsung. You can only reach peer users by posting here.

To reach someone at Samsung and make your voice heard, you will need to use the Members app on a Galaxy device, visit the support tab, and navigate to "send feedback."

To answer your question:

As far as I can tell, the transition away from Samsung Messages is most likely based on infrastructure. Because the USA lacks a robust carrier-based RCS infrastructure, Samsung Messages has not been able to consistently offer a fully-featured modern messaging experience for all users.

In 2024, Samsung issued an official statement:

"Even if messaging apps follow the RCS standard, the availability may be limited depending on which app the other party uses. That’s why we decided to make Google Messages the common messaging platform, allowing Galaxy users to communicate more freely. This also enables a messaging app to respond to changes of the RCS standard more quickly and efficiently."

Given Apple's US Market dominance, it is crucial for Samsung to have an equivalent feature to iMessage that is universally available regardless of carrier. Google Messages is the way Samsung has chosen to accomplish that.

If you don't want to use Google Messages, you don't have to. Alternative SMS apps like Textra, Chomp, and Handcent remain available in the Play Store.

[Bfloyd1989]

Rcs in the US is now completely managed by carrier as google turn back over management to carrier. Saying is a carrier issue is no longer the case....

Samsung is retiring samsung messages because they are not dedicating resources to update it. Plain and simple.

[CEParsons]

It is not totally accurate to say that RCS in the US is now completely managed by carriers.

You are referencing recent developments where Google is partnering with certain carriers to share costs for some of their Jibe servers.

This is not the same as legacy carrier-implemented RCS. The Jibe implementation is distinct from the legacy RCS infrastructure Samsung Messages relied on prior to its discontuation.

Jibe servers lacks open APIs which would be necessary for Android apps other than Google Messages to access them. Google has allowed iPhones to connect to these servers via the carrier to encourage cross-platform compatibility, but has not allowed the same for competing Android apps.

In short, even with this development, the point remains: universal RCS is largely achieved by bypassing carrier infrastructure via Jibe and Google Messages is required to utilize these specific servers on Android.

[Bfloyd1989]

Sir in 2024 after apple adopted RCS, every us carrier under Att, T-Mobile and Verizon all sent this message saying that RCS is now managed by the carrier. Users who carrier dropped support after Google back away lost support.

[Bfloyd1989]

Samsung messages RCS has been working up to this point. Samsung Messages since 2024 after they reverse the first time had not be updated. It because Samsung did not dedicate resources saying anything else is completely false

[CEParsons]

Apologies. Wrote a reply, deleted because I wanted to fact check my timeline and revisit.

From what I can gather, major carriers tried to implement RCS support alongside iPhone adoption in late 2024, hence the announcement. So carriers now provide and manage RCS under their own terms, but for most that means partnering with Google to use Jibe as the backend.

Because Jibe + Universal Profile is the backend, iPhone or Google Messages are generally the requirements to access the servers

So yes, carriers COULD theoretically implement RCS for other messaging services but, they are unlikely to do so because their efforts to do so previously failed

To your other point, yes, Samsung most likely sees Samsung Messages as redundant and a poor allocation of resources

[Beedawn]

No no it's not we want to keep samsung messaging and if this person not reaching someone who works with samsung is true why are you answering for samsung like a worker would tell your bosses WE DON'T WANT TO SWITCH WE LIKE SAMSUNG IF WE DIDN'T WE WOULD BUY A pixel

[CEParsons]

No one here works for Samsung. Samsung employees who do participate in the Members app are labeled as such. See my attached screenshot for what those accounts look like.

If you are noticing that some users have badges that say things like "Honored Contributor" or "Ambassador," that doesn't mean we/they work for Samsung. It just indicates a highly active user who has a history of helping others solve their tech problems.

We are here voluntarily because we enjoy the community and we enjoy helping people.