Samsung Messages is almost dead, and Google Messages is still missing 5 big features

Samsung Messages is shutting down in a matter of weeks. Beginning in July, the app will now not be supported, and Samsung will push customers to modify to Google Messages as a substitute. Because it seems, Samsung Messages has lots of devoted followers amongst Android Authority‘s readership, and you’ve all been vocal in our feedback in regards to the features Samsung’s app provides that Google’s doesn’t.

Google Messages has been including impactful new features fairly regularly currently — a brand new trash folder final month, real-time location sharing weeks earlier — however there’s still lots the app can’t do. Listed here are 5 Samsung Messages features Android Authority‘s commenters say they’ll miss most as soon as the app winds down.

Samsung Messages lets customers customise their chats extensively, with choices to manually select chat colours and even set photos as chat backgrounds. This characteristic has come up within the feedback of virtually each Android Authority publish that mentions Samsung Messages’ upcoming shutdown.

Google Messages doesn’t provide the identical stage of customization. You may edit chat colours, however as of now, that’s it. Fortuitously, we’ve noticed proof in Google Messages’ code that custom-made chat backgrounds are within the works: strings in a current beta construct of Google’s app reference customized themes a number of occasions, together with one which particularly mentions customized theme backgrounds.

That was a number of weeks in the past, so it’s completely doable we may see chat customization in Google Messages on par with what Samsung Messages provides by the point customers are pressured to make the swap. Optimistically, customized themes will switch together with the message content material, however I wouldn’t maintain my breath.

Samsung Messages lets customers create folders to group chats, making it simple to clump conversations about work, household life, hobbies, or no matter else you’ve received occurring. Whereas Google Messages can filter spam into its personal view and now has a trash folder, it doesn’t assist sorting conversations into classes.

Android Authority reader Jamie McMahon truly values this feature greater than chat themes, commenting that Google ought to “cease specializing in methods we are able to change how our messages look and concentrate on methods we are able to set up our messages.” I’d must agree there.

One UI provides an choice to have your cellphone vibrate every time you decide it up when you’ve gotten missed calls or unread textual content messages. Commenter Chris4wwf factors out that that characteristic isn’t at present supported by Google Messages: with the “Alert when cellphone picked up” setting turned on, Samsung telephones will vibrate when there are unread messages in Samsung Messages, however not if there are in Google’s messaging app.

Customers have been complaining about this performance hole on Samsung’s boards for a while, and the difficulty stays unresolved as of final month. Whether or not this is one thing on Google’s or Samsung’s finish, ideally, it’ll be ironed out quickly.

In Samsung Messages’ settings, a toggle labeled “Delete outdated messages” routinely deletes your oldest texts when you’ve reached 1,000, stopping your chats from getting too lengthy. Commenter greg.sirmon is irritated that Google Messages doesn’t embody any choice to routinely delete outdated textual content messages, as a substitute solely permitting for guide deletion of particular person texts or complete textual content threads.

I’ve by no means been bothered by an excessively lengthy chat backlog, however as somebody who appreciates a tidy digital house, I can sympathize. I can’t see why Google Messages wouldn’t provide choices to routinely delete outdated messages.

Loads of Android Authority readers have mentioned they’re upset to see Samsung Messages fold, since Samsung’s app was significant competitors for Google within the Android messaging house.

There are different texting purchasers on Android, after all (Fossify and Textra are two comparatively well-liked picks), to not point out giant multi-platform choices like Telegram and WhatsApp. However Samsung Messages began phasing out RCS final 12 months, leaving Google Messages as the one RCS sport on the town. With Samsung’s app going away almost completely this summer time, it appears probably that’ll be the case for the foreseeable future.