With RCS taking over the default messaging service on Android, Google Messages leads the way. Yesterday, Samsung and Google announced this Google messages will be ‚original‘ To the Galaxy S21 but without going into details on what that means. Now, we have a little more context.
In an interview with Engadget, Hiroshi Lockheimer from Google, explains in more detail that Google Messages on the Galaxy S21 looks more „original“ in two ways. Firstly, there are some design and functionality tweaks to the app to make it work better with Samsung’s One UI and feel it belongs on this platform.
Most importantly, it also means that Google Messages is the pre-installed and default SMS / RCS app on the Galaxy S21, S21 +, and S21 Ultra. However, according to Hiroshi, the app is „unfortunately“ not the default experience in the US. For unknown reasons, Samsung has chosen to stick to its own app only in the US. Aside from „a few exceptions,“ the rest of the world will see its S21 ship with Google Messages instead of Samsung Messages.
This move sees Samsung following behind a few other Android device manufacturers in adopting Google Messages on a dedicated client. OnePlus, Motorola, LG, and other companies have abandoned their own SMS-handling apps for a faster and easier route to RCS. Samsung RCS messaging has always supported, but Google Messages mainly popped up the function Every Android phone on the planet is at this point.
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