One of many lesser-appreciated options of Google’s Android mobile operating system is the power to modify your default apps with out fuss. Your default net browser, cellphone app, caller ID and spam app, digital assistant app, home app, and Brief Message Service (SMS) texting app are all simply interchangable with third-party alternate options.
There are various, many reasons to be critical of Google, however I will give credit score the place credit score is due: the tech large has completed a fairly good job of constructing Android a versatile OS, messaging apps included. When you’re questioning learn how to make the change to a third-party text messaging app, otherwise you merely need to check out one thing that is not Google Messages, then all it will take is a few purposeful display faucets.
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How one can change out your default SMS texting app on Android
Your complete course of solely takes just a few moments to finish
As a way to change from one Android texting app to another one, observe these steps:
- Obtain a third-party textual content messaging app from the Google Play Store, in case you do not have already got one put in in your Android cellphone.
- Find this third-party texting app from inside your cellphone’s app drawer, and faucet on its icon to launch the software program.
- Instantly, you will be greeter with a splash display. You may need to faucet on the Set default SMS app button.
- From the record offered, faucet on the textual content messaging app of your alternative.
- Faucet on Set as default.
Every messaging app has its personal distinctive ‘set as default messaging app’ splash display, however in each case, there’s solely ever a single button you must fear about tapping.
And identical to that, whichever texting app you have chosen will begin working as your new default — it will mechanically replace and sync up all of your current textual content message threads, with no extra enter required. The method to return to your beforehand chosen texting app is equivalent, however merely in reverse.
When you’re on the lookout for some wonderful third-party messaging app suggestions, Pocket-lint has a dedicated article on the subject. Briefly, some widespread choices embrace:
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That being stated, third-party SMS apps nonetheless have their place out there
Lately, we have seen Google push aggressively to make its personal Messages app the de facto texting expertise on Android. The tech large has emphasised its personal implementation of the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol, and has brokered offers with giants like Samsung to include the service on new phones by default.
In reality, because it presently stands, the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) or ‘vanilla’ model of Android doesn’t even have an actively maintained app for messaging family and friends. As an alternative, it is as much as smartphone OEMs and third-party builders to fill the Google-sized void within the room.
I can envision an eventual RCS-powered renaissance within the Android texting app scene.
Fortunately, whereas the present collection of various SMS apps is not large, the out there choices are nonetheless being usually up to date. If the newer RCS texting normal continues to realize trade prominence — and it’s a safe bet that it’ll do so — then I can envision an eventual RCS-powered renaissance within the Android texting app scene.
After all, as a prerequisite, this could require Google to open up its distinctive taste of the RCS protocol to third-parties within the type of a developer API. In the intervening time, the vast majority of texting apps on Android fall into certainly one of two camps: those who depend on the now-ancient SMS normal, and people funded by deep pockets that may afford to construct proprietary messaging applied sciences à la WhatsApp, Discord, and others.
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