Google Messages is the best way to chat with friends and family on Android, and lately, it’s received a ton of upgrades that make things even better. It’s clear that Google is trying to deliver an iMessage-like experience, and while we’re almost there, there are still two missing features holding it back.
While RCS brings high-quality media and more to Google’s messaging app, the company has worked tirelessly this year on anew media sharing interface, snooze features,sensitive content warnings, and real-time location sharing is in the works, too.
The app hasexcellent spam detection, preventing junk from ever reaching your phone. That’s on top of all its existing features, like OTP auto-deletion, reminders, Gemini AI goodies, voice transcripts, and the ability to easily archive messages without deleting them. Despite everything new over the last 12–18 months, Google is still dropping the ball in a few areas.
Multiple Device Usage and Syncing
One of my biggest complaints aboutGoogle Messagesis the clunky and half-baked “multi-device” support. When you use iMessage on multiple devices, it “just works” and works great. Conversations sync between your phone, iPad, watch, MacBook, iMac, etc. It’s pretty great, honestly. Everything happens through your Apple ID.
Sadly, that’s nowhere near the case for Google Messages. Instead, we have a terrible way to useGoogle Messages on the web, but it’s nothing special. Sure, you’re able to get Google messages on a tablet or even try to use the web version, but conversations don’t sync between multiple app downloads, almost defeating the purpose entirely.
Your main Messages account is tied to the SIM card on your phone. And while logging in and accessing Google Messages on the web uses your Google account, nothing about it works the way iMessage does. It looks like Google has the capability, but for whatever reason, the experience is still a mess.
Don’t get me wrong—sync does work, at least to a degree. However, it falls far short of where it needs to be if Google truly wants the service to be an iMessage equivalent for Android. We’ve heard rumors of a true multi-device system similar to iMessage, WhatsApp, etc. for over two years, so I guess we’ll just have to keep waiting.
Google Messages Needs Way More Customization
If you’re still using Textra, Samsung Messages, Chomp, Handcent, or something else for texting on Android, I don’t blame you. Those apps offer far more customization than Google’s app, and it’s not even close.
I’m a huge Textra fan. You can customize every single aspect of your messaging experience with Textra. I’m talking about the chat bubble size, shape, colors, and even the text colors. You can use custom backgrounds, change the notification icon colors, or even change the entire app to a specific color. Furthermore, each contact can have special colors, specific notification icon colors, and more. Basically, you can make the app function and look 100% the way you want it to. The only thing missing is RCS support, which is why I eventually switched to Google Messages.
I miss Textra and all its customization every single day, but it’s far more important to have read receipts, use typing indicators, and easily send pictures and videos to friends, family, and iPhone users. Function is far more important than form, and RCS offers the features and functions I want and need in a text message application.
RCS support and spam blocking are the only two things I truly love about Google Messages. Everything else is subpar and topped by third-party text apps. Google could do so much better.
Over the last few months, Google has made a few minor changes to Google Messages in an effort to improve this front. You can now choose a theme color for group chats, but it’s very limited. Additionally, RCS group chat icons are customizable, instead of just showing a bunch of letters signifying the first letter in each user’s name.
Currently, if you have multiple group chats—as most of us do these days—everything blurs together, and it’s hard to differentiate between each one. Now that we can finally customize a group chat icon, things are a little better, but this is only one of about 20 things I’d love to customize.
If there’s a silver lining, Android 16 has an all-newMaterial 3 Expressive design overhaulthat makes Android fun, personal, and customizable. We’re hoping most of that eventually trickles down to Google Messages. Android has all sorts of theming and dynamic personalization, much of which happens automatically on Pixel devices. I want that same level of personalization in more Google apps, specifically Messages.
Right now, Google Messages is the ideal way to send texts, images, and videos on Android to all my friends and family. However, if it truly wants to be the best option or compete with iMessage, it needs to fix multi-device support, addwaymore customization, and fine-tune the experience into something we’ll all love, rather than feel obligated to use for RCS.
Google Messages could be so much better. I have faith we’ll get there, it’s just a matter of when.
