If you’re a proud owner of a Samsung device, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Why do I have two messaging apps on my Samsung phone?” The answer lies in the different messaging services offered by both Google and Samsung. Understanding the specifics of each will help you select the best one for your needs. This detailed guide will delve into the Google Messages vs. Samsung Messages battle, comparing features such as user interface, chat capabilities, and organization.
Getting Started: Identifying the Apps
Despite having the same name, “Messages,” you can differentiate the apps by their respective icons. Google Messages has a blue chat bubble on a white background, while Samsung Messages displays a white chat bubble on a blue background. Spotting these differences will help you navigate between the two apps on your Samsung Galaxy phone.
User Interface: The First Encounter
While the two apps offer a similar user interface (UI), they both have unique characteristics. Samsung Messages has a whitish appearance, while Google Messages is more colorful due to its vibrant contact icons. Both show messages in a list format with the newest on top. Yet, Google Messages provides a more detailed preview of each message, showing more lines of text compared to Samsung Messages.
1. Spotting Unread Messages
Samsung Messages shows the number of new messages in an orange circle next to each chat. In contrast, Google Messages makes the text bold for unread chats and adds a dot next to them. Samsung Messages also allows users to view all unread messages in one place, a feature currently missing in Google Messages.
2. Gesture Support
Google Messages outperforms Samsung Messages in gesture support. If you swipe on a chat thread in Google Messages, you can archive the thread, delete it, or modify these settings. Samsung Messages, unfortunately, lacks any gesture support.
Message Organization Features: Keeping it Neat
When comparing Samsung Messages and Google Messages, their approaches to message organization are a key differentiator.
1. SMS Categories
Google Messages automatically sorts conversations into categories like Personal, Transactions, OTPs, and Offers. Samsung Messages, on the other hand, requires manual creation of categories and subsequent sorting of conversations into these categories.
2. Archiving Messages
If you’re looking to archive messages, Google Messages provides this feature. Samsung Messages, however, does not.
3. Pinning Messages
Both apps allow you to pin up to five chats at the top of your conversation list. This is particularly handy for frequently contacted individuals.
4.Starring Messages
Another useful feature offered by both apps is the ability to “star” or “favorite” a message. This allows you to access certain messages regularly, from a designated Starred section.
5. Recovering Deleted Messages
Samsung Messages offers a ‘Recycle bin’ feature that allows recovery of deleted messages within 30 days of deletion. This feature is missing in Google Messages.
6. Managing Old Messages
Google Messages can automatically delete OTPs after 24 hours. Samsung Messages, on the other hand, will delete old messages after they reach certain limits.
Messaging Features: Communicating in Style
In terms of messaging features, both apps offer a number of impressive capabilities.
1. Scheduling Messages
Both Samsung and Google Messages allow users to schedule messages natively, a feature that has previously enticed users to third-party SMS clients.
2. Quick Replies
Samsung Messages offers a ‘Quick Response’ feature, which lets users select from a list of predefined replies. Google Messages, while lacking this exact feature, offers Smart Replies, suggesting responses, emojis, and GIFs based on received messages.
3. Custom Signatures and Web Preview of Links
One common feature that many of us look for in messaging apps is the ability to add custom signatures to our messages. Unfortunately, neither Samsung Messages nor Google Messages provide this option. However, they both compensate for this with another handy feature: web preview of links. When you receive a link in a message, both apps will display a link preview, giving you a glimpse of the linked content. For users who prefer to avoid this, the feature can be turned off in the settings of both apps.
4. Search Features
A useful functionality in any messaging app is the ability to quickly search for specific content. Both Samsung and Google Messages have integrated search features, but their presentations differ. Samsung Messages offers a search icon, whereas Google Messages displays a full-fledged search bar at the top of the app.
Upon launching the search feature in either app, you’ll encounter various search categories like images, videos, and links. Click on a category to view all conversations that contain that particular type of content. For example, selecting images will display all your chats that contain pictures. Additionally, these search tools can be used to find contacts and conversations.
One key difference between these two apps is that Samsung Messages allows for searching within individual chat threads. To do this, open a chat thread, click on the three-dot icon, and choose ‘Search messages.’
5. Spam Detection
When it comes to spam detection, Google Messages takes the lead. It offers a warning about potential spam messages before you open them and features a dedicated spam folder where incoming spam messages are automatically stored.
RCS Messaging: What’s the Deal?
In the modern world, messaging apps go beyond the traditional SMS and MMS services. They also provide the capability to send messages over the internet. This is known as Rich Communication Services (RCS). Both Samsung and Google Messages support RCS.
However, while Google Messages provides RCS worldwide, Samsung’s RCS is only available through certain carriers. Furthermore, RCS communication works perfectly between Google Messages apps, but it can be hit-or-miss between Samsung and Google Messages.
Both apps offer features like read receipts and the ability to enable or disable auto-download files. They also allow users to send a variety of media including locations, images, videos, GIFs, audio, contacts, and voice notes.
Samsung Messages provides a few extra features not present in Google Messages, such as the ability to send calendar events and notes, add nicknames, choose image and video quality, and send stickers from the Samsung Keyboard.
Google Messages, on the other hand, supports emoji reactions and can convert reactions from iPhone users into proper emoji reactions, instead of typing them in the text as Samsung Messages does.
App Customization
Dark Mode
Both messaging apps have a dark mode feature. However, the dark mode setting in the Samsung Messages app is linked to the system-wide dark mode on Samsung devices. In contrast, Google Messages allows users to enable or disable dark mode independently of the phone’s overall appearance.
Themes
Samsung Galaxy phones are renowned for supporting themes, and the Samsung Messages app is no exception. Changing your phone’s theme (from Settings > Themes) will also change the theme in all Samsung apps. Plus, Samsung Messages lets you customize the color or background of individual chats, a feature that’s absent in Google Messages.
Desktop Continuity
Google Messages offers a native feature that lets you send and receive messages from a PC, similar to WhatsApp Web. Just open ‘Messages on Web’ on your PC, scan the QR code from your phone, and you’re good to go.
Samsung Messages lacks this feature, but that doesn’t mean you can’t send or receive messages from your PC. You can use the ‘Link to Windows’ service to connect your Samsung Galaxy phone to a Windows computer. This service provides additional features like viewing notifications on a PC, making and receiving calls, dragging and dropping files, checking photos, syncing clipboard, and much more.
Are These Apps Free?
Both Google Messages and Samsung Messages are free apps. All the features we’ve discussed are available in both apps at no extra cost.
What’s the Availability of These Apps?
Google Messages is accessible on all Android phones, including Samsung devices. This means that if you like Google Messages on your current Android phone, you can install it on any other device. But the Samsung Messages app is exclusive to Samsung Galaxy devices.
What Features Do These Apps Share?
In addition to the features we’ve already discussed, both apps let you set custom notification sounds for individual chats, change the text size by pinching in and out on the screen, and mark all messages as read.
Google Messages or Samsung Messages: Comparison Table
| Feature | Google Messages | Samsung Messages |
|---|---|---|
| User Interface | Simple and clean | Vibrant and colorful |
| Customization | Limited | Allows appearance customization |
| Compatibility | Works with Android 5.0 or higher | Only works on Samsung devices |
| Integration | Integrated with Google services | Integrated with Samsung-specific services |
| Privacy and Security | Offers end-to-end encryption for one-on-one conversations | Does not offer end-to-end encryption |
| Backup | Backup to Google Drive | Backup through Samsung Cloud |
| Availability | Available for all Android devices and can be accessed through a web-based platform | Only available on Samsung devices |
| Unique Features | Automatic message sorting, auto-delete for OTPs after 24 hours | Recycle bin, chat screen customization |
| Pros | End-to-end encryption for one-on-one conversations, integration with Google services, convenient backup to Google Drive | User-friendly interface, customization options, dark mode |
| Cons | Not available on all devices, delayed bug fixes | Only available on Samsung devices, lacks end-to-end encryption for messages, no cloud backup option, infrequent updates |
The Verdict: Which One is Better?
Choosing between these two messaging apps comes down to personal preference as both offer unique and beneficial features. If you prioritize AI and better RCS support, Google Messages is the way to go. But if customization is your thing, Samsung Messages is a great choice.
FAQs About Samsung Messages vs. Google Messages
1. How Can I Change the Default Messaging App on Samsung Galaxy Phones?
To change the default messaging app, go to ‘Settings’ followed by ‘Apps’ > ‘Choose default apps.’ Tap on the ‘SMS app’ and select your preferred SMS app.
2. How Can I Transfer Messages to a New SMS App?
You don’t need to manually move messages to the new default SMS app on the same phone. Once you change the default messaging app, all your old messages will automatically appear in the new app.
3. What Happens to My Messages If I Switch From Samsung Messages to Google Messages?
When you switch from Samsung Messages to Google Messages, all your existing text messages will migrate to the new app. Google Messages will access your messages stored on your device and display them in the app, ensuring a seamless transition.
4. Can I Use Google Messages on a Non-Samsung Android Device?
Yes, Google Messages is available for all Android devices, not just Samsung. It can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and set as the default messaging app on any Android smartphone.
5. Can I Use Samsung Messages on a Non-Samsung Android Device?
No, Samsung Messages is exclusive to Samsung devices. It comes pre-installed on Samsung smartphones and isn’t available for download on other Android devices from the Google Play Store.
