5 apps you can use instead of Google Messages

Google Messages is one of the best messaging apps for Android, and RCS support is a big part of the reason. While Samsung used to support RCS directly, these days the only real RCS solution for Android is the official Google app. As much as RCS has improved Android messaging, I realize that not everyone has adhered to this standard. If you’re not worried about RCS support, there are plenty of other great messaging apps available as well.

Let’s take a look at a few of the best messaging apps available. To keep things interesting, we’ll take a look at both SMS-based applications and those that use proprietary web formats.

Textra SMS offers extensive customization, with over 180 Material Design themes, bubble color options, customizable fonts, and more. Unlike some messaging apps, you can apply these customizations globally or at the individual contact level.

It’s not just a customization dream; It is also a very fast and lightweight application that can easily handle huge chat archives without slowing down the pace. There are even features like scheduled text messages that make it feel like a deeper experience than a regular SMS app.

As much as Textra SMS is a good alternative, it’s not perfect. Like every other messaging app on this list, Textra does not support RCS, and it is completely missing when it comes to web or desktop support. There are also some light ads, which may turn off some users, though you can remove them with a one-time purchase.

While Textra wins in terms of customization options, Pulse SMS focuses on modernizing the SMS experience by syncing multiple devices across PCs, tablets, browsers, and even Android TV. There are also cloud backups and end-to-end server-side encryption for added privacy.

Pulse still has some convenient themes for every conversation, password-protected vaults for sensitive contacts, and a decent folder system for keeping things organized. It is also fairly fast and smooth with a powerful user interface.

Be aware that to get the most out of this app, not only will you need a free account, but you’ll likely need to sign up for a premium account to use the multi-device sync features.

While the other two SMS options on the list are more about adding customization or even updates that aren’t usually part of the experience, Fossify is much simpler. This open source app is completely free to use and 100% ad-free.

The app lacks Internet permissions for Android, which means it’s completely offline, so you don’t have to worry about your messages leaking from a cloud database somewhere. It also has local SMS backup and restore options that make it easy to export and import SMS database to a local file for quick setup of new devices.

With more simplified customization, no RCS support, and no cross-device syncing, you’ll find that Fossify is all about privacy and getting back to basics. This may be off-putting to some, but those looking to move away from Google or cloud servers may welcome the simplicity.

While some previous messaging solutions promise improved security over standard SMS, your data is still more vulnerable than it would be on a more closed platform like Signal.

With Signal, every call, file transfer, or text message uses end-to-end encryption, and there’s no metadata logging. There are also enhanced anonymization tools such as the ability to choose a unique username and hide your phone number from regular participants. Signal’s own system also handles rich modern media features that none of the above SMS apps can offer and is closer to RCS in terms of capability.

Keep in mind that Signal doesn’t have unified carrier SMS support at all, so you’ll only be able to contact other Signal users over cellular data or Wi-Fi. Signal completely rejects cloud backups and requires you to sign up with your phone number. This makes it a great platform, but only if you know enough users who use the app.

Signal is very secure and supports modern features that SMS does not, but some users may find it difficult to communicate with others. If this is your situation, you may want to take a look at WhatsApp instead.

The world’s most popular messaging app, WhatsApp also rejects RCS and SMS in favor of its own technology. It also supports a wide range of devices from computers to tablets, phones and web browsers. Although it’s not privacy-focused in the same way, it still features end-to-end encryption via the same industry-standard Signal protocol. Best of all, the basic app is free of ads and clutter.

The downside: it is owned by Meta. For those who are leaving Google Messages for greater privacy and to feel “less spied on,” they are essentially trading one giant for another. Although WhatsApp may encrypt your content, it still tracks and records comprehensive metadata of communications such as who you talk to, how often, which device is used, and IP address. You might want to pass on if you don’t like the idea of ​​big companies keeping that much personal data.