Will Google / Android ever have an iMessage type app ?

[macfacts]

"so what?" you expect people to text everyone they know and convince them to use an app they never heard of for texting? Good luck.. hope that works out for you.

You don't need to convince everyone. Someone earlier in this thread said they wanted to send a video to their mom that wasn't shortened or resized from MMS.

"Mom, can you install this app so I can send this video?"

You aren't sending videos or group chatting with everyone in your address book. You can still chat over sms text with those other people. The people you want to send videos or do group chats are most likely people that are close to you, not strangers.

 

[Tig Bitties]

I'm sure it's difficult to convince someone to use a messaging app that has over 1.2B monthly active users and over 50B messages sent every day.

Here in the States it will be almost impossible to get the iPhone user base to switch away from iMessage. Just not going to happen. Even the Android users here in America, they just use the text app the phone ships with, they might be more open to another app over the stock messaging app, more so than the iPhone users, but the core Joe Blow American Android phone person, will doubtful switch to something different if it isn't preinstalled on their phone.

I keep hearing how poplar WhatsApp is, and I am sure it is huge elsewhere outside of the U.S. but I don't see it gaining a foothold here anytime soon.

 

[Zaft]

Here in the States it will be almost impossible to get the iPhone user base to switch away from iMessage. Just not going to happen. Even the Android users here in America, they just use the text app the phone ships with, they might be more open to another app over the stock messaging app, more so than the iPhone users, but the core Joe Blow American Android phone person, will doubtful switch to something different if it isn't preinstalled on their phone.

I keep hearing how poplar WhatsApp is, and I am sure it is huge elsewhere outside of the U.S. but I don't see it gaining a foothold here anytime soon.

Facebook messenger and imessage is basically the united states.

Whatsapp is europe.

 

[Roadstar]

Facebook messenger and imessage is basically the united states.

Whatsapp is europe.

Well I'm in Europe and my messaging is mostly divided between Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp with some Skype IMs thrown in. Some years ago I did use iMessage as well, but then alternatives got better and ever-increasing iPhone Euro prices drove a significant enough portion of users to Android, which in turn made iMessage much less enticing/useful.

 

[sk1wbw]

I'm still trying to find an Android sms app that can identify a USPS tracking number correctly. Every one I've tried either won't format it at all or formats it to a telephone number.

 

[Sounds Good]

As someone who just got his very first Android phone after owning nothing but iPhones I sooooo agree with the OP. Everyone I know has an iPhone and they all naturally and instinctively use iMessage. I like my new phone but boy do I miss iMessage. Sharing photos and videos is not the same now (it's become more like a chore). Will I switch back to the iPhone because of iMessage? Not yet. But I might at some point down the road.

 

[mib1800]

As someone who just got his very first Android phone after owning nothing but iPhones I sooooo agree with the OP. Everyone I know has an iPhone and they all naturally and instinctively use iMessage. I like my new phone but boy do I miss iMessage. Sharing photos and videos is not the same now (it's become more like a chore). Will I switch back to the iPhone because of iMessage? Not yet. But I might at some point down the road.

I thought Android has at least 50% market share in the US. Kind of a statistical anomaly if everyone you know is using iphone. I think for everyone else in the world that do not fall within this statistical anomaly, iMessage is totally CMI as a messaging client. That's why in most parts of the world (other than US) iMessage is mostly ignored.

 

[lowendlinux]

I hope not..I don't want to be tied to a platform no matter how convenient. If you don't want to download whatsapp then send an SMS or no message at all.

 

[kevinof]

Two of my kids have iphones yet don't use imessage at all - Facebook messenger and What's app are the ones they go to all the time. For me it's the same with a lot of Skype messages for the business side. imessage nowhere to be seen.

 

[Sounds Good]

Kind of a statistical anomaly if everyone you know is using iphone.

Let me re-phrase that: Everyone I know that I text with has an iPhone. This includes family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Everyone. True story. (I'm in the U.S. if that matters)

 

[JaySoul]

We get this type of thread every few months. Let me get you to the conclusion super fast:

1) No, Google will never get their act together with messaging

2) Americans love iPhones and therefore think iMessage is king

3) China has their own thing

4) Everyone else uses cross-platform WhatsApp (even in UK, it's basically mandatory)

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I hope not..I don't want to be tied to a platform no matter how convenient. If you don't want to download whatsapp then send an SMS or no message at all.

Google is surely not the type to make their services exclusive to one platform. I think what most want is a Message app like iMessage on a user interface level. Basically a SMS and messenger service, as a DEFAULT Android Message app.

 

[torana355]

We get this type of thread every few months. Let me get you to the conclusion super fast:

1) No, Google will never get their act together with messaging

2) Americans love iPhones and therefore think iMessage is king

3) China has their own thing

4) Everyone else uses cross-platform WhatsApp (even in UK, it's basically mandatory)

Well said, I don't see this changing either. Thank god i live in Australia where people are using Whatspp and therefore there are no messaging issues. Seems like it would be a nightmare to live in the US with an Android phone where people don't have the knowledge or the need to download a cross platform messaging solution.

 

[mib1800]

Well said, I don't see this changing either. Thank god i live in Australia where people are using Whatspp and therefore there are no messaging issues. Seems like it would be a nightmare to live in the US with an Android phone where people don't have the knowledge or the need to download a cross platform messaging solution.

Agreed. With Imessage hybrid sms/data messaging is a mess. In many countries, many people have friends/relatives in other countries or they (or their friends) travel to other countries quite often. Using Imessage you (or your friends) get slapped with paying for expensive international/roaming sms. Maybe in US, not so much of an issue as inter-country mobility is low compared to other countries.

Using a common data-based messenger is less confusing and better. Most probably the US is the odd man out in the world wrt this. Whatsapp/WeChat/Line/Kakao/FBM/Viber are the norm in many countries. So you can easily join in to those networks while you are in those countries and get connected. With Imessage, you dont know what will happen or what you need to do.

 

[sk1wbw]

Agreed. With Imessage hybrid sms/data messaging is a mess. In many countries, many people have friends/relatives in other countries or they (or their friends) travel to other countries quite often. Using Imessage you (or your friends) get slapped with paying for expensive international/roaming sms. Maybe in US, not so much of an issue as inter-country mobility is low compared to other countries.

Using a common data-based messenger is less confusing and better. Most probably the US is the odd man out in the world wrt this. Whatsapp/WeChat/Line/Kakao/FBM/Viber are the norm in many countries. So you can easily join in to those networks while you are in those countries and get connected. With Imessage, you dont know what will happen or what you need to do.

Stuff like this is not an issue with iMessage. It's an issue with carriers that rape consumers over text messages that has been repeatedly proven to not cost carriers anything to send. Why people outside the US put up with this ******** is beyond me.

 

[mib1800]

Stuff like this is not an issue with iMessage. It's an issue with carriers that rape consumers over text messages that has been repeatedly proven to not cost carriers anything to send. Why people outside the US put up with this ******** is beyond me.

A good software is one that works around current limitations and not one that cries out like a baby and tells everyone not using iOS to piss off.

And SMS is semi crippled solution in today's messaging use even if you have free sms.

 

[Zaft]

Agreed. With Imessage hybrid sms/data messaging is a mess. In many countries, many people have friends/relatives in other countries or they (or their friends) travel to other countries quite often. Using Imessage you (or your friends) get slapped with paying for expensive international/roaming sms. Maybe in US, not so much of an issue as inter-country mobility is low compared to other countries.

Using a common data-based messenger is less confusing and better. Most probably the US is the odd man out in the world wrt this. Whatsapp/WeChat/Line/Kakao/FBM/Viber are the norm in many countries. So you can easily join in to those networks while you are in those countries and get connected. With Imessage, you dont know what will happen or what you need to do.

I was in Russia recently and the big thing there is Viber.

 

[apolloa]

Haha one word NO! It seems Google or is that Alphabet, seem utterly incapable of understanding how to make a messaging app that works.
Best bet is WattsApp or if Apple release iMessage on Android...

 

[Sounds Good]

...or if Apple release iMessage on Android...

I wish. But it'll never happen. Lots of people DO NOT switch from iPhone to Android because of iMessage.

 

[sk1wbw]

A good software is one that works around current limitations and not one that cries out like a baby and tells everyone not using iOS to piss off.

And SMS is semi crippled solution in today's messaging use even if you have free sms.

I'm not using iOS. See how smart you're not? And how is sms "crippled"? I have to hear this one. I've been using sms for over 20 years and it works great.

 

[mib1800]

I'm not using iOS. See how smart you're not? And how is sms "crippled"? I have to hear this one. I've been using sms for over 20 years and it works great.

Then you are not using IMessage or you are not too smart to see I am talking about phone here.

I said semi crippled

Well you can't attach files, group messaging, voice etc. ...hmm see I am smart since I can explain to you something you find so "difficult" to understand.

 

[Tig Bitties]

My point in creating the thread was not expecting Google to ask Apple to put iMessage on the Play Store, obviously that's not going to happen.

But I would like something somewhat similar to iMessage on Google;

- Full high res picture sharing
- YouTube links playable in the message
- Website links showing the content in the message
- Video sharing in the message, with the ability to play it right there in the text
- Computer based as well, to reply from a desktop PC or tablet not on a carrier network, but through the internet connection.

Those are some of the main things I would like to see Google adopt into their Messaging app. Thus far Google offers none of that really, where Apple has being doing it for years, and it's frustrating. As big as Google is, they should be able to get something like this released, all in one single app only, not multiple different apps.

Is that asking too much ?

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

But I would like something somewhat similar to iMessage on Google;

- Full high res picture sharing
- YouTube links playable in the message
- Website links showing the content in the message
- Video sharing in the message, with the ability to play it right there in the text

Allo is able to do that already.

- Computer based as well, to reply from a desktop PC or tablet not on a carrier network, but through the internet connection.

Yes, this is needed. And it should be done by Google and NOT Chrome browser based. I don't want 3rd party client apps. I want the actual app from the source.

Those are some of the main things I would like to see Google adopt into their Messaging app. Thus far Google offers none of that really, where Apple has being doing it for years, and it's frustrating. As big as Google is, they should be able to get something like this released, all in one single app only, not multiple different apps.

Is that asking too much ?

Allo is the bet chance at the moment. The UI and features are top notch. Google has to implement SMS/Messenger/and Cloud service into it, and make it the default message app. Otherwise, I think all hope is gone for a very long time.

 

[mib1800]

Allo is able to do that already.




Yes, this is needed. And it should be done by Google and NOT Chrome browser based. I don't want 3rd party client apps. I want the actual app from the source.




Allo is the bet chance at the moment. The UI and features are top notch. Google has to implement SMS/Messenger/and Cloud service into it, and make it the default message app. Otherwise, I think all hope is gone for a very long time.

I think Allo is too late to the game. With other messengers like Whatsapp/wechat/FBM already so entrenched.
The only way it can gain traction is if it comes out with a killer service that the rest dont have.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I think Allo is too late to the game. With other messengers like Whatsapp/wechat/FBM already so entrenched.
The only way it can gain traction is if it comes out with a killer service that the rest dont have.

It's not too late if we are talking about a default SMS/messaging app.