It was detailed yesterday that the Galaxy S21 lineup would come preloaded with Google’s Messages app, which has become a very solid app for texting, complete with RCS functionalities. The experience is said to be more “native” on the S21 models, with optimizations made to make it feel more a part of One UI, and in addition, it was made the default messaging app on the phones. For Samsung, who has always loved using its own apps for this sort of thing, this is a big deal.
There’s a big problem, though, as this native experience is only available to Galaxy S21 units outside of the US. WTF, folks.
No specific reason is known why Samsung is keeping its own messaging app as the default in the US, but the move was confirmed yesterday by Google’s Hiroshi Lockheimer. While it would have been nice to have a uniform messaging experience across Android devices, an upside exists in the fact that Samsung’s messaging app also supports RCS and it is probable that most Galaxy owners are quite familiar with it by this point.
There’s nothing to stop any Galaxy S21 buyers from installing Google Messages, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be this new “native” experience that’s referenced. Oh well.
// 9to5Google | Engadget
See it’s foolishness like this that just makes iOS look better . Not only is iMessage ARGUABLY better than RCS messaging iOS user don’t even have to think it’s just there and automatic on every single iOS device no carrier or region interference SMH. Samsung and Google are powerful enough at this point to stop letting 3rd parties or carriers cheapen the experience of hardware by doing this crap
Samsung us moving in the right direction here for me. Definitely tempting me for later in the year.
For some reason RCS stopped working on my unlocked N20U (on Verizon) the other day. I had to disable it. Messages weren’t being sent to other RCS enabled phones and the connecting thing just showed in progress…was working fine for months before that…now I just get this when I go into it: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0413d0cf5fca668cacda32d7f329359cd8e84f20b2d4a98259d7a35df0568103.jpg
I’ve cleared cache and storage, reset, reinstalled…it just won’t work anymore.
That happens randomly on my note ultra on Verizon as well at one point I just completely switched off RCS and used the native app because I was missing messages and pictures etc
I’ve had issues the last few weeks with RCS/Chat on my 4XL on AT&T as well, I get that same message after I try to activate. I’ve also cleared cache, done a couple factory resets and got a new SIM card and it won’t activate. Adding to it SMS would not work right. Switched to textra and my SMS works correctly now. I like textra’s features better anyway, I was only using AM for RCS and messages on the web. Textra actually works better with Android Auto anyway.
I’ll be honest, I use the Samsung Messaging app. I have used Google’s in the past. I like both. Samsung wins slightly on this one because it has some additional features.
Which features? The only feature that kept me around was scheduled messaging.
Which Google Messages finally got late last year.
I like the Samsung app, but since I got a Chromebook, and want messages to link, I have to have Google Messages, otherwise, I would care. Android Auto receives messages either way.
And that right there is just one of the reasons I just can’t justify going back from iOS to Android. It makes zero sense for them to do that.
Samsung messages RCS in the states sucks. Yes it gives us the ability to send messages over wifi but the compressing of video is horrible. I really hope they work on it.
Or…. Buy a pixel? I am using textra… With SwiftKey… No issues… No RCS but it was not being used when I did have messages setup.
Or…just install it from the play store. What does textra or swiftkey have to do with any of this?
Any Android phone can download Textra and Swiftkey the whole draw here is other apps getting access to RCS which Textra doesn’t have
no but my RCS won’t work on my Pixel 4XL the last few weeks, I got a new SIM card, I’ve done a couple resets and it will not activate. To add to it, some numbers I could not get SMS from even. Switched to Textra and no more issues. So while RCS is great, what good is it if the core SMS functionality is broken?
Removal of MST, SD cards and now not having any balls to stand up against carriers to allow a native RCS messaging experience by having Google Messages be pre-installed…I’m growing tired of Samsung and Android as a whole. It’s a damn shame.
I have a note 10+, it doesn’t have any carrier bloatware. I bought it unlocked directly from Samsung.
didn’t those come with facebook bloat?
It does unfortunately, but that is not carrier bloatware, ie Verizon message and whatever else Verizon puts on phones. I’d still rather use Android. Will never buy carrier tied phones again.
What? USA is no longer great? Wake-up, the rest of the world is doing so much better than us especially when it comes to technology and communication.
Still the best part of an iPhone. Carriers can’t do jack sh*t to it. Android is still getting shafted like those cheap laptops full of bloated software crap pre-installed. I love that I have ZERO AT&T apps loaded onto my iPhone.
I’ve never owned and iPhone and slowly but surely after using iPhone for the past 10 years, it’s looking like I’m surely going to begin considering iOS.
Just switch, I did it a year ago and no complaints.
I get closer to switching each year but then I am reminded by how poorly iOS handles notifications. Even my die hard iPhone friends agree Apple needs to do something about it.
i use both and fail to see what is the difference..
Notifications are by far my biggest complaint with iOS. I switched a year ago black friday. Missed a few features, gained a few features. Notifications are horrible on iPhone.
If I get an email, plus a bunch of other notifications, I have to purposefully scroll way down to see it.
On Android, I get 3 of the last 3 apps that gave a notification on the top left. When you drag down, they’re much smaller font so they fit quite a bit more on the screen at once.
I miss notifications regularly and hate it.
Definitely worth the switch imo.
I’m far from ready to switch to iOS but it does seem a FAR more viable scenario than it was 10, 5 or even 2 years ago.
Samsung is becoming increasingly Apple-like, as they lose the hardware perks and advantages Android had for years or as Apple catches up (expandable storage, larger screens, physical keyboards & camera shutter buttons, multiple cameras, 5G, headphone jacks etc).
I would wait if you do, the newest model is ugly!! Who would want a 12 yo looking cell phone!
Pretty sure they come preloaded with a whole bunch of Apple Apps. Safari browser anyone?
Nothing from carriers though, no AT&T apps no T-mobile apps no Verizon apps etc. You can remove apps from iPhone and currently choose a default email client and web browser.
You can remove apps from android as well
Unlocked Android phones are the same way, and usually cost about the same as carrier versions. With the same financing available from various sellers as carriers do, there’s no real reason to get your phone from them anymore. Unless, of course, they have a REALLY good deal going, like one of their “when you add a line” deals and are offering a free new line at the same time.
One step closer to AOSP on Samsung…..not. Lol. In all honesty, one ui has definitely gotten closer with each newer build. It’s very usable these days.
One word: Carriers.
They probably hate that Google took RCS into their own hands.
Why don’t they hate that Apple did that years ago with Messages? It maybe they just feel powerless to stand up to Apple.
Because it’s part of the contract when Apple let them carry iPhones. Since most people in the US still get their phones from carriers, being the only one to not sign was basically flushing 1/3 or more of your customers to the competition.
This.
My dad has that T Mobile rev phone and you can’t even disable the tmobile messages app on it.
Not to mention Verizon loves their garbage text app.
Also let’s not forget they announced that RCS messaging collaboration so they could monetize it. I wonder what’s going on with that still because ISIS (lol) worked out so well.
You can’t disable but you can’t set a new default. Plus use a new launcher and just hide the icon.
But also, you can enable Google RCS in Samsung Messages now. Just Google it and there your YouTube walkthroughs.
Yeah, but only the people making comments on these articles would go through that trouble. Everyone else sticks with what comes on the phone.
Not really at all. You search SMS or messaging on the play store and there are boat loads of options.
You open the app and it asks you to change it and you say yes.
More people use alternative apps than you think. Still not a huge percentage, but definitely more than your comment implies.
I’ve learned the easiest way to get someone to make a change on their phone is to say “This is what I use, if you care to communicate with me, this is how you can do it.” After ditching Facebook a while back, this is how I got all my primary contacts to message me on Signal instead of Facebook Messenger.
The carrier’s effectively hamstrung Google Wallet from ever taking off. It was released 2 years before Apple Pay but was disabled on nearly every carrier phone.
I listened to video with Engadget and they only stated that Google Messages won’t come as the default messaging app in the US. They in no way stated that the further integration wouldn’t be available in the US for those who manually install it from the Play Store. You might want to listen again.
We’re talking about whether or not Google Messages is the default messaging app. Of course it will still work exactly the same, once you change the default.
The article is about two things. One is deeper integration with OneUI aka ‘native’ support and the other is it being the default messaging app. It seems to be confusing the idea that you can’t have one without the other.
I see. Not sure what they mean by deeper integration. What else changes besides being default?
One of the biggest things would be Google Messages supporting Samsung’s Messaging Continuity with allows you to sync your messages between your phone and Samsung tablet or smartwatch. Currently this is only support in Samsung messages.
Ah. Yes. Got it. I suppose that is a big deal for those who keep all of their old messages. I know a lot of people do.
It’s not necessarily old messages- it’s new ones too. Just helps if you use multiple devices.
That would be awesome but it makes too much sense for them to actually get that working. Google has been asleep at the wheel for years and Samsung appears to be in a massive cost-cutting mode right now.