Which is better in 2023, Google or Samsung's Messages?

August 03, 2023 By Prelo Con

(Image Credit Google)

image credit - youtube.com All phones already have an SMS app on them. If you have a basic Android phone, Google's Messages app will be on it. But if you have a Samsung phone, it comes with its own SMS app. Even more unclear is that the newest Samsung phones have both messaging apps. Here, we'll look at how Google Messages and Samsung Messages are different.

Google Messages vs Samsung's Messages: App Icon

On your phone, both texting apps have the same name: Messages. And that makes things even more confusing. So, to start, the Google Messages app has a white background and a blue chat bubble. The chat bubble in the Samsung Messages app is blue, while the background is white. Also, in the Google Messages app, the chat bubble icon points to the right, while in the Samsung app, it points to the left. Also, the Samsung Messages app's chat bubble has three dots.

UI (User Interface)

Both apps have a user interface (UI) that is both similar and different. Samsung Messages looks white, but Google Messages looks more lively because the contact icons are colored. On the main screen of both apps, you can see a list of all your messages, with the most current one at the top. Both apps have message groups at the top (more on these below) and a floating "new chat" button in the bottom-right corner. In Samsung Messages, there is a different tab at the bottom called "Contacts." This lets you quickly find and message any of your contacts. The Google Messages app also shows more lines of text for each chat than the Samsung Messages app. This lets you read most of the message quickly without having to open the whole chat. In Google Messages, you will also see the day next to the text when the most recent message was sent (for the current week). This is different from Samsung Messages, which only shows the date.

Unread Messages

[caption id="attachment_189399" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Google-Messages-and-Samsung-Messages-Interface-768x557

image credit - mksguide.com[/caption] The two message apps are very different when it comes to new or old messages. The orange circle next to each chat in the Samsung Texts app shows how many new texts there are. On the other hand, open messages in Google Messages are highlighted and marked with a dot. Also, in the Samsung Messages app, you can sort and see all the unread messages by tapping the View button at the top, next to "X unread messages." The Google Messages app does not have this option.

Gesture Support

Samsung Messages doesn't let you use movements like other texting apps do. So, nothing will happen if you swipe on a chat thread on the main screen. But if you swipe away from a conversation in Google Messages, it will be saved. In settings, you can change the action that deletes the message thread or turn it off. [caption id="attachment_189398" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Google-Messages-and-Samsung-Messages-Message-Tools

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image credit - mksguide.com[/caption]

Google Messages vs Samsung's Messages: Message Organization Features

Let's look at how Samsung Messages and Google Messages organize your messages.

SMS Categories

In addition to the main All category, Google Messages lets you organize talks into Personal, Transactions, OTPs, and Offers. These groups are set up immediately for the messages. In the Google Messages app, you can't make new groups. On the other hand, the Samsung Messages app's sections are more like folders. You'll have to make them and put talks in them by hand.

Archive Messages

Most chat apps have an "archive" option that lets you hide conversations from the main screen without deleting them. If you want to save texts, you can do so in the Google texts app, but not in the Samsung Messages app. Messages that have been archived are stored in a different folder called "Archived," from which they can be unarchived at any time.

Pin Messages on the Top

If you talk to someone a lot, putting their chat to the top of the list can be very helpful. Adding a message stays at the top of the list even if you get or send other messages. Both the messages app and the chats app let you pin talks to the top. But you can only pin up to 5 talks in the Google Messages app. In the Samsung Messages app, you can pin up to 20 chats.

Star The Messages

The whole thread benefits from pinning. What if you want to read the same message over and over in a chat? That's why it's helpful to star a message. To star a message in either app, open the chat and press and hold on to the message. Tap the star button (Google Messages) or choose "Star" from the menu (Samsung Messages) to mark a message. You'll see the star icon next to the messages you've marked as important. Once a message is marked as a favorite, it can be found in the Starred area, which you can get by clicking on the three-bar icon (in Google Messages) or the three-dot icon (in Samsung Messages).

Recover Deleted Messages

Deleting a message from the Samsung Messages app goes to the Recycle bin, also called the Trash folder, where it stays for 30 days before being wiped for good. If you accidentally remove a message, the Recycle Bin folder can help you get it back. The Google Texts app doesn't have this feature, and when you hit the Delete button, your texts are gone for good.

Delete Old Messages

Both apps have different ways of dealing with old texts. Google Messages has a function that lets you delete OTPs automatically after 24 hours. On the other hand, Samsung Messages will instantly delete old messages after a certain number of texts, multimedia messages, or chats, such as 1000 texts, 100 multimedia messages, or 5000 chats. Both of these tools can be turned on or off in the settings for each app.

Google Messages vs Samsung's Messages: Messaging Features

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Quick Replies

Want to save time by not having to type the same answers over and over? Then you'll love Quick Response, a feature of Samsung Messages that no other app has. To see the available messages, just tap the plus sign (+) in the chat thread and choose Quick Response. Samsung Messages has a nice list of ready-made answers, but you can also make your own from the settings menu. On the other hand, there is no quick response option in Google Messages. Smart Replies, however, are a more interesting feature. As the name implies, Google will automatically suggest replies and even emojis and GIFs based on the messages it receives.

Schedule Messages

The option to schedule messages was one of the things that made people switch to third-party SMS clients. What's that? Both Samsung Messages and Google Messages have this built in.

Search

The Samsung Messages app has a search button, while the Google Messages app has a full-fledged search bar at the top. When you start the search in either app, you will see different search categories, such as images, videos, links, etc. If you tap on a category, you can see the discussions that have that item. For example, the photos tab will show all the chats with pictures. Type in what you want to look up, and the results will show up right away in both apps. You can use the search to find both your friends and your conversations. The Samsung Messages app lets you look through individual chat threads, which is a big difference when it comes to searching. Open the chat thread, tap the three dots, and choose Search messages.

Spam Detection

Google Messages is much better at finding spam than Samsung Messages. It will tell you about spam messages before you open them and automatically put them in a separate folder called Spam. [caption id="attachment_189397" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Spam-Messages-in-Google-Messages-and-Samsung-Messages-768x557

Spam-Messages-in-Google-Messages-and-Samsung-Messages-768x557

image credit - mksguide.com[/caption]

Google Messages vs Samsung's Messages: App Customization

Dark Mode

Both apps for texting have a "dark mode." But while the dark mode of the Samsung Message app is tied to the system-wide dark mode on Samsung phones, you can turn on or off dark mode in Google Messages without changing the way your phone looks.

Themes

Themes can be used on Samsung Galaxy phones. And if you change your phone's style (in Settings > Themes), all Samsung apps, like the Samsung Messages app, will look the same. Also, in Samsung Messages, you can change the color or background of a single text. The Google Messages app doesn't have either of these things.

Google Messages vs Samsung's Messages: RCS Messaging

No longer can you only use SMS and MMS with the chat apps. Now, Android messaging apps let you also send texts over the internet. Rich Communication Services (RCS) can be used with both Samsung Messages and Google Messages. Google Messages is available everywhere, but RCS on Samsung Messages is only offered through carriers. Also, the RCS service works perfectly between Google Messages apps, but it doesn't always work between Samsung and Google Messages. Here is a list of how these apps are the same and different when it comes to RCS:

There are read receipts on both apps.
Both have the option to turn on or turn off Auto-download files.
You can share your location, a picture, a video, a GIF, an audio file, a contact, or a voice note from both apps.
You can send Calendar events and Notes through Samsung Messages.
Only the Samsung Keyboard can send images through Samsung Messages.
Samsung Messages lets you add nicknames.
In Samsung Messages, you can choose the size of the picture and video.

Google Messages vs Samsung's Messages: Conclusion

In the end, it comes down to what each person wants. A better choice is Samsung Messages on Samsung phones and Google Messages on Google Pixel phones. Google Messages is the best app to use if you want one that works with AI and has better RCS support. But if you like being able to change things, Samsung Messages is a good option.

By Prelo Con

Following my passion by reviewing latest tech. Just love it.