What if I just want my phone's text messaging app to only do text messages? What if I don't want fluff features like voice messages that I didn't ask for? Is there a simple vanilla text messaging app to take over texts on my phone since Google feels the need to add extra weight to Messages, an otherwise simple feature that all cell phones share?
this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2023
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Android
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Luckily you're on android and not an iPhone. You can go ahead and install whichever text messaging handling application you would like in its place to use and switch the default app.
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(6 replies)
I personally use QKSMS, which isn't perfect, but it's all I've been able to stand since Signal dropped SMS support.
This RCS stuff scares me a bit, because it sounds like it will function over a data connection and not be nearly as universal of a standard as SMS/MMS is. There are already a million such apps and standards if one wants to use data for messaging. Trying to sneak it on top of SMS is very annoying. If I use my SMS app, I want my messages to be sent as such. Getting a surprise data bill shouldn't be a fear.
RCS does function over a data connection (and WiFi!), however unless you're sending large files over the wire it's probably not going to have any effect on your data bill. Text messages are a handful of kilobytes large at worst. SMS/MMS have lots of issues to do with security and capability, and most handsets support it in some form already.
Not everyone has a large data plan. I am very aware of how much messaging taxes my data plan: the entirety of my data is already used by it.
the entirety of my data is already used by it
You are mistaken.
I'm really not. 75% of my data this month has been used by Signal and Discord.
Very unsurprising that Discord consumes a bunch of data but that's not really a "messaging app".
If Signal is consuming too much data, it's because you're in too many group chats with photos and videos. You can change the settings so media will only download over Wi-Fi.
Many people do use Discord as a messaging app. I am really only using it for private messages when I am on data.
I only have two Signal contacts, and no group chats. Video is set to download only on WiFi, but I do need to be able to see images.
If you're using Discord for private messages, you are making another mistake.
You say that as if I don't already know it. But what am I supposed to do, abandon every friend who prefers it?
I don't know what you know. You're the one who said you were using it for "private" messaging. Just letting you know.
nobody thinks discord is e2ee. "private messages" usually means the same thing as "direct messages" -- messages between a defined set of people as opposed to an open group. You know and understand this term, you're just being a dick because you think that's an effective way to convince people to stop using proprietary software without basic features like e2ee. You're wrong.
I do know and understand the difference, which is exactly why I made the correction. I'm not being a dick, I'm trying to correct poor nomenclature. I'm not trying to convince anyone to do anything except make informed decisions. I'd argue that's the opposite of being a dick. But thanks for weighing in.
You're trying to "correct" the correct usage of vernacular English because you feel like reinventing the language to suit your personal idea of what it should be. English is bigger than you. The phrase "private messaging" has meaning, and it's not up to you to decide what that meaning is.
The phrase "private messaging" has meaning, and it's not up to you to decide what that meaning is.
Uhhhh I'm not "deciding" the meaning. It was decided long ago. And I'm not debating it any further with you. Goodbye.
Then disable RCS chats in the settings? I doubt traditional SMS is going anywhere soon.
Trying to sneak it on top of SMS is very annoying
No one is trying to "sneak" anything. The ideal messaging app has advanced messaging features as the primary and then falls back to SMS if it's unavailable, and that's exactly how this works.
If you're looking for a less advanced and secure app, you can very easily install and use anything else.
If I wanted a messaging app with advanced features, I wouldn't be using the SMS app that came with my phone.
...and why not?
Because SMS is inherently feature-lite. But it's free and unlimited, which is kind of the whole point of using it over a feature-rich app that uses data.
A lot of messaging apps became popular because carriers were charging per-SMS in some countries.
Basic text messaging should consumer virtually zero data. If they are, you should consider using a different app.
Photos use a decent amount of data regardless of what app you're sending them by.
It doesn't consume much more than it does on SMS
SMS/MMS do not count toward data usage here. They are free and unlimited.
QKSMS hasn't been maintained in a while, besides one update at the start of 2023.
It may be better to go with, and I personally just use, PartisanSMS which is an improved fork of QKSMS.
I think that in SMS there simply is not more to have, they have everything needed.
There haven't been any issues, so I don't see why development is needed.
You can replace it with any of thousands of old shitty SMS apps if you want. It's not iOS.
Most of us want advanced features and privacy. And unfortunately, in order to get those features, you often have to be using the same app/service across devices. Google seems to have finally caught on that constantly changing messaging apps is killing them, so they made an app to be the "default" on Android devices.
I'm pretty sure not being iOS is a feature.
But then you lose RCS.
Yes that's what they asked for
Not if you want RCS. Google still refuses to make a user-level API for some reason. So you can only use the messenger app bundled with your phone for RCS.
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Textra, QKSMS, NextSMS, PulseSMS, and so on. Many (most, all?) are much better than Google.
Pulse is shit now, it's been acquired by a sketchy company.
Bummer. I used it for years.
Maybe an old version from apkmirror?
Yes, that could work. I just switched to Google Messages which, other than being from Google, is pretty good.
For years I used Textra. It did SMS amazingly. I only switched to Google Messages for RCS support, although I believe Textra added that now.
I'm not seeing that it does RCS. Would love to see a Foss app that does. Anyone?
None do yet, because Google doesn't publish an API for apps to use RCS.
Another reason I say fuck RCS.
None will, Google is slowly closed-sourcing the entire platform. Messaging was one of the next steps. Also why apps like Signal won't be seeing carrier messaging in the future.
The fact we need Google and phone carrier approval to use the system is a reason to drop it.
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They're also apparently adding markdown which is neat, but considering all the recent Google news of them trying to lock down the web, I'd rather they focus on adding an RCS API so other apps can exist...
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