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Google Messages is the SMS and messaging app from Google on Android devices. Once it was just the usual basic SMS app on phones for sending and receiving SMS, like obviously but more recently various features have been baked in to compete with Apple’s equivalent app or service i.e. iMessage. Google has started implementing RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Google Messages which allows users to send messages to each other’s mobile numbers but in a rich format that is more advanced than SMS, more faster multi media exchange and sending more file formats over their respective mobile carriers. But Google took this mobile carrier stance on its head and is now delivering to all Android phones without relying on the carriers. Google Messages web emphasizes on using Google Messages on a PC by scanning a QR code by going to messages.google.com just like WhatsApp web. This is not available on iMessages, so Google has an edge over here. In the upcoming times its iMessages vs Google Messages and lets’s see how well Google Messages catches up.

Over the years this app has seen many changes be it feature or design wise. Google Messages is the default messages app on Google apps as well as on other Android OEMs like Asus or Huawei (during the GMS days). Apart from this interestingly other Chinese brands like OnePlus, Realme and Xiaomi (in some regions) have now started shipping their phones with the Google Messages as the default messages app too. Along with this the default phone app on these brands’ phones is the Google Phone. The reason why shifted to Google communication apps? That is pretty unknown as of now but Chinese brands are embracing it despite less features and functions in both these set of Google apps. But on the bright side for the RCS functionality, as more people with Google Messages installed on their device, more would be the chance of spread of RCS messaging among Android phones.

People have been furious over the fact that Google Phone DO NOT have the call recording function which was available before in the stock apps. Various existing users of Xiaomi and OnePlus are not happy with the move when coming from an old device of the same brand and not finding call recording function. Technically Google phone has call recording but every time have to hit the call record button in order to record the call and not only that but the person on the other hand would be notified that the particular call is being recorded. That diminishes the purpose of call recording in the first place.

Though this has been about the Google Phone, its sibling i.e. Google Messages has issues of its own and those issues can be the reason why Google cannot find much success with Google Messages as Apple did with iMessage. These reasons are –

1. Google Messages not baked into Android phones

The main obstacle of Google Messages that prevents it to reach many people is that it is not preinstalled in many phones. As mentioned above, some OEMS are taking note of this and now the default messages app on those brands’ phones is indeed Google Messages. But what about older and other phones? On the other side, Apple’s iMessage is available on phones as old as iPhone 4 that is from 2010 though if that phone is usable anymore but just for context that how widespread iMessage actually is. This was possible because every iPhone sold had iMessage and people were aware of it.

This things only become popular when people start talking about and it becomes daily part of the life. For instance, Apple iMessage green – blue bubble memes have always been popular and people can relate to it instantly, that’s free promotion for Apple.

2. Google Doesn’t Promote or Embrace Google Messages

Remember Google Allo? It was one hell of a product that Google created but unfortunately killed it of. Why? It never took off as anticipated and Google is the only one to blame because it never really spread out the word that an app like Allo even existed. Google Allo had so many goodies baked in like a variety of dope looking chat themes, integration of Google Assistant and smart replies (both which are now available in Google Messages) but all that was useless because people didn’t even care about it. After Allo was put to the grave, Google has been treating Google Messages with features which Google Allo had and that’s a step in the right direction.

Google didn’t promote and advertised Allo, as it should have and that is what led to its death. Not learning from its mistakes makes Google Messages in the same trap as well. Why do you think Google Duo is so popular and regarded as one of the best video calling apps currently? Because it has been baked into the Google Services itself just like apps like YouTube, Gmail, Drive etc. and people do you use Google Duo and Google also promotes it. If same treatment is provided to Google Messages highlighting it’s extremely unique features and may take off which hasn’t been done all these years.

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3. Late to the Race but Never late than Ever

Over the past year or so, Google took the role of rolling out and providing RCS rather than relying on the carriers. RCS allows messaging between two mobile numbers through the carriers. At the time when Apple’s iMessage has now become a colossal, enters Google Messages RCS whose purpose is similar and to compete with it. Google Messages is now finally rolling out worldwide instead of country by country along with end to end encryption in the beta app only for now.

It has posed huge challenge for Google to make people shift from text messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram or whatever popular app is being used to Google Messages. Google has to figure that out now.

Apart from these, some major caveats with Google Messages are –

• Chat themes/wallpapers – Without chat wallpapers or themes, the app looks pretty dull. Various messaging apps have this by now. But again it’s just a customization thing without which it won’t matter much.

• Ability to reply to a message in chat – This is highly needed with other apps having it since a long time now, it kinda feels off when you get used to replying messages but do not find the same in this app. But as more and more users land onto Google Messages, it might become available pretty soon
• No mute option – As it’s an SMS app too, this feature isn’t there. But now chats are also a part of it so it’s high time to provide this feature, just like any other text messaging app
• All SMS and chats in one place – Right now, I only have like 1 or 2 chats so it doesn’t matter much. But when various chats will be created, it will be a horrible experience to dig in and access the particular chat you want to message to. These can be separated by different tabs. One of SMS and other of chats.
• Cannot @ in a group chat – This has been extremely useful to specify a particular person to indicate that the message is for them. Unfortunately, this isn’t available in Google’s version of messaging app

But who knows Google might be working on these caveats and might roll out the solutions of these issues one by one.

Final words

If Google addresses all these issues, then surely it can come on top provided the amount of Android users in the world, it can easily crush Apple’s iMessage in terms of user base, but first there needs to be a user base. A huge boost is provided by Android OEMs by defaulting the messages app of Google, this means more chance of people finally the chat features instead of downloading it from the Play Store. I have personally used Google Messages RCS and it was a refreshing experience to be honest and could’t reply to a particular message in the chat was a major bummer for me. On the bright side, the inclusion of Messages for web is a great way to chat on a PC and this isn’t available on iMessage. In the battle of iMessages vs Google Messages let’s see how well can Google Messages come on top.

All in all, I think this app does have the potential to take off even if its so late and its something I am looking forward to.