Replacement for Verizon Message+?

October 27, 2024 7:30 PM

Verizon is discontinuing their Message+ app soon, and suggesting all users switch to Google Messages. I'd rather not use Google - are there any good alternatives? (on Android)

Yes, I know Google is probably already spying on all my messages at the OS level anyway, but nonetheless I'd like to deny them the additional assistance if possible :). (And yes, I know Verizon's app probably collected all my data too, but for better or worse, they benefited from the inertia of coming pre-installed on the phone - now that's gone, I'm trying to at least do a little diligence!)

Ideally looking for just a dead simple, no-frills app. Honestly doubtful whether what I want even exists, but here goes - many thanks for any suggestions!

Requirements:
- runs on Android (Motorola phone)
- Absolutely no ads ever. I'm happy to pay whatever up-front to purchase the app. Even a "high" price by mobile app standards.
- supports basic SMS, MMS, group texts
- app maker doesn't collect my text data

Non-requirements:
- don't care about iPhone-style "liking" of messages
- don't care about cosmetic stuff like custom backgrounds on text threads, custom typefaces, etc.
- don't care about E2E encryption
- don't need cloud sync across devices, would prefer if app doesn't even offer that as an optional feature

posted by equalpants to Technology (7 answers total)

I had the same problem. When I got the phone (LG Stylo6, r.i.p.) there were two messaging apps on the on the home screen, Message+ and Messaging. Message+ was already enabled so I used it until a few weeks ago, when I got the Verizon message they were killing it. So I enabled the Messaging app. I have no idea who made it, all I know it has a green icon with a message bubble inside.

It's simple and it seems like an older design, but it's "good enough" for me.

Like you, I've been dodging Google when possible.
posted by Marky at 7:54 PM on October 27

I would add RCS capabililty to your list. It's 2024, and even Apple has caved, finally.
posted by intermod at 8:32 PM on October 27

Best answer: I used Textra for a while and quite liked it, but its lack of RCS and a lot of my family's use of iPhones really made it necessary for me to switch back to Google Messages.

And just to note - most third-party text apps should allow you to not use cloud sync. They almost all offer it these days (some may only offer it as a paid upgrade), but they should also almost all have a way to disable it. So don't rule any of them out just because they include it as a feature.
posted by pdb at 9:02 PM on October 27 [2 favorites]

I'm using QKSMS now but in poking around I realized it is now abandonware. I guess I should update! The replacement version is called QUIK SMS. I try to get everyone I care about to use Signal, but in the rare events I have to do something over SMS it seems to work ok, no frills.
posted by lolibrarian at 7:23 AM on October 28

I've always been an Android user, and have always hated Verizon and Google's messaging apps, so I use the one that came with my phone, called Messages, but NOT Google's Messages. The icon looks different, so that's how I tell them apart. It seems to be a very low-resource app and supports sms and group chat. I don't know if it supports RCS.
posted by Lynsey at 1:52 PM on October 28

Fossify SMS Messenger?
posted by genpfault at 1:58 PM on October 28

Response by poster: Thanks all for the suggestions!

I really wanted to like Fossify but unfortunately it's simply broken for group texts, at least on my phone - shows messages as coming from the wrong sender!

Going with Textra for now.
posted by equalpants at 9:17 PM on October 31