Google Messages: A Messaging App Ahead of Its Time

Jon Gilbert, a writer for Android Police, recently discovered that Google Messages is a powerful tool he hasn't utilized to its full potential. He sent an RCS text over Google Messages and was impressed by its features.

Gilbert uses WhatsApp more often than Google Messages because it's widely used in Europe, but he resents Meta's monopoly on messaging. RCS texting unlocks many of Google Messages' useful features, such as high-quality media sharing and read receipts, which are also available on instant messaging apps like WhatsApp.

The writer notes that Google Messages has a user-friendly interface and is packed with useful features, including scheduled messaging, auto-deletion of one-time passwords (unavailable in the UK), and spam protection. He's impressed by how dated other instant messaging apps are compared to Google Messages.

However, Gilbert laments that RCS adoption is limited due to its temperamental nature and compatibility issues with carriers like Vodafone in the UK. This has forced him to concede defeat every time he tries to use Google Messages more often than WhatsApp.