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  • @kellex
    What is the clock widget you’re using there? Love it and have to have it now 🙂

  • No mms over WiFi on Verizon and it doesn’t even show blank to let you know to turn WiFi off.

    Also no option to lock messages.

    These are things all messaging apps should have.

  • Ha ha of course people still text. I’m back on iOS now since the 6 Plus came out and iOS 8 already had this feature built in. It’s pretty nice. But I gotta say (and oddly enough) I found Verizon Messages to be a pretty sweet app. That was the app I decided to use when I was still on Android and it had this feature for a while. I know that only applies to folks who happen to be on Verizon though. Out of all the bloat Verizon cms on their phones, THAT was the only one I found useful.

    • I’m wondering the same thing as it doesn’t seem to be working on my Turbo (which as we know is still sitting on Kit Kat)

  • There are so many little things that kind of add up to big things Google hasn’t done yet or just now getting around to. This is one of them.

  • I don’t find Hangouts to be terrible. It functions as advertised for me. It just needs an overhaul in the looks department and maybe move some furniture around.

    Also, who does still text?

    • Same here. I don’t mind hangouts at all. Granted, it needs some improvments, but I really enjoy being able to switch between SMS for my carrier and SMS for GV. I use GV a lot for work.

  • The new feature isn’t working for me, just the regular notification. I’m on a Droid Turbo. Does it matter that I’m using Nova Launcher?

      • Hmm. I didn’t get the play store update yet, I downloaded the apk from the source link.

      • The quick reply from the notification works but it isn’t showing the pop up on the home screen.

    • Not working consistently for me either…I have the G3 with the stock launcher

    • Not working on my turbo either and i’m on stock… Is this a lollipop only thing?

  • It’s weird how Google pushes you to let Hangouts handle SMS while updating Messenger and making it much better at the task. Why not just integrate them into a single app?

  • How come it won’t have install? Says package with same name or signature or something is installed already

  • this was the one feature i was waiting for keeping me from switching to messenger. its the one feature of an SMS app i care about.

  • Installed the apk and nothing. Not Reply button or anything, still looks the same. Whats up with that? LG G3

  • Does anyone else have problems with heads up notifications? Mine only work for one app I have. Without it it makes this update less fluid..

    • I’m on 5.0 and I still use the heads up app, the notifications look better and I can control them

  • I use Material Messaging it has quick reply and lock using the fingerprint scanner on my Note 4

  • Speaking of text messaging app. Does anyone know a good replacement for the old sliding messaging (by Klinker) app? I’m asking because it hasn’t been updated (substantially) in quite awhile. I like that it has the floating chat head that was ripped off from that horrible Facebook phone HTC helped create. Thanks to those that reply with suggestions in advance.
    BTW, yes I did try Google’s when it 1st came out. Might have to give it a 2nd chance in this case.

  • I’m not impressed with how it looks. Samsung animation for quick reply is better, and apples slide to reply feels better.

  • bring it for hangouts please!!! does anone use this messenger? what do you like/not like about it?

  • Its quite lovely, except that the group messages are super janky. I’ll get group texts and it says it’s from someone totally different who isn’t even in the conversation. Weird.

  • The stock messaging app get quick messaging and voice text while hangouts doesn’t. Sometimes I don’t understand what Google is doing. Put the messaging program and hangouts together then improve your dumb camera app. It’s like they don’t care about android and just let them do what they want.

  • Great start…if it also had a READ and DELETE button alongside the REPLY button, I’d give it a try.

  • The only reason I still use Handcent is because of the awesome popup notification for a quick reply. As soon as hangouts has that I’ll switch.

    • I LOVED that feature on Handcent. Looks like this might come close on Messenger.

      I wish Handcent didn’t seem to have issues starting with Ice Cream Sandwich.

  • I would suggest that any of you using this app make sure it’s sending to the right recipient. My wife and I are experiencing the same issue! Keep checking.

    • Yep, it’s annoying. Didn’t notice this until I got an S6. Not sure if that was coincidence or not. Worked fine when I was still using my Nexus 5.

  • I always try to use Hangouts and WhatsApp for most of my messaging. But for some reason, my iPhone friends always like to SMS. I guess obsolescence applies to both products and its users.

  • Guess it’s back to Messenger for as long as I can stand not having proper cross-device sync.

    • One of the benefits of the new Moto devices. I can use a chrome extension to get cross device sync with Messenger.

      • I have a Moto X and Connect but the floating Hangouts app was a bit nicer for it considering I don’t like using extensions.

        • I do admit the Connect extension is really hit or miss sometimes. I’d hope for something similar to the seamlessness Apple users have, especially for us on Chromebooks, but I can’t figure out why Google hasn’t looked into this functionality.

  • “Why doesn’t Hangouts have this already?” We don’t know. We also don’t know why Hangouts is such a terrible app still, even though it is supposed to be the future. Messenger, on the other hand, is quite lovely.”

    Yes x1000. Well said Kellen

  • I have been using messenger for a while now. I don’t understand how this app does not follow the basic Google layout as other apps by not having the slide out panel..

  • I dont know why but this site always makes it seem like SMS is some sort of dead technology. This is not the 1st time he has made a statement alluding to the mis-information of the numbers of people using SMS messages. Everyone I know still uses regular text messages. Its almost impossible to get everyone on one specific platform like Hangouts, or Whatsapp. But everyone has SMS on their phones. Especially when your dealing with business and other people besides friends.

    • Exactly. I was thinking the same thing SMS is the only universal option that comes standard on every smartphone and is a part of every single wireless service including prepaid.

    • Completely agree.

      Its kind of like how “big phones” were railed against for so long, until the Nexus 6. Now its “premium” materials which means metal only.

      SMS is extinct? Not hardly.

    • I was in the same boat, made the switch and I’m never looking back. My biggest gripe with Hangouts is the seemingly random way it applies custom contact photos. Some people get their G+ photo, some get the one i’ve set manually, and some just get the blue face. It was maddening. I don’t really miss the on-the-fly switching from hangouts to SMS because most of my contacts are on iPhone and thus never use hangouts.

  • True… all this is doing is making me want to go back to texting, instead of hangouts. ?

  • The only feature it’s missing now (in my opinion) is the ability to have the screen come on when receiving a text. For like 5-7 seconds at most.

  • This is the reason I’ve been sticking with the stock messenger on the s6…LOVE quick replies in a window over what I’m doing … Handy as all get out. But, just wish it would mark messages I reply to as read in the app.

    Now if Sammy could just update their freaking email app with actionable notifications.

      • Thanks, I’ll give it a go (tried a lot of 3rd party email apps and most usually have some sort of integration problem that rears its head later … Here’s to hoping nothing like that with Cloudmagic … Trying it now.

  • I’ve long since stopped using Hangouts in favor of Messenger. Google really needs to streamline it’s best products as the future. Inbox & Messenger in particular.

    • I’m with you 100%. So glad I ditched Hangouts and Voice and went with Messenger. It works perfectly, and looks a thousand times better than Hangouts.

      • I wanted to love Hangouts, but I couldn’t stand getting errors on every group MMS. I switched to Messenger and haven’t had an issue since. Sad thing is that it worked perfectly when it was first released and ended up getting broken somewhere along the line.

    • I don’t like inbox. I also miss the email client app that allowed me to sync my work email now I have to use gmail or a 3rd party app where is before Nexus devices had a separate email from gmail just for that purpose.

      • What about sideloading the email apk? I’ve been tempted to try Mailbox as DL gives it high praise, but I can’t shake the look and convenience of Inbox. Especially allowing me to switch Google accounts on the fly to view separate inboxes.

        • Have you tried Nine? It’s an exchange client that works really well. Bit pricey, but been worth it for me.

        • I dropped Inbox for Mailbox. I still love both, but Mailbox’s snooze and swipe features are addicting for me. The only thing it’s missing is Reminders integration. And likewise, the only thing Inbox is missing is Mailbox’s snooze and swipe features. Unfortunately, desktop Mailbox is still in beta, and the bugs are annoying. But on mobile it’s great!

  • If you still text message? Umm…can we do a poll on this because I ONLY text message. Along with the other 500 contacts in my phone.

    • Same here. I only use texting and sometimes Facebook messenger. Pretty much everyone I know in their mid twenties and older only text. Don’t see the additional benefit of those other apps.

    • I don’t. I use Hangouts and Facebook Messenger. None of those use the SMS protocol that Kellex is talking about.

      • So everyone you communicate with is through a Hangout message (not SMS in Hangouts) or through FB chat?

          • SMS is such a mess, anyway. You don’t get delivery confirmation, messages get lost for days and MMS was never designed to be used as a group chat platform and fails a lot.

          • SMS does have delivery confirmation in settings. The biggest reason why people use SMS is because everybody has it. Convincing dozens of your closest friends and family to get on a random messaging service is too much work in my opinion.

          • I feel like it’s well worth it. With hangouts I get delivery confirmation, can see when others are typing, and can easily switch between my desktop, chromebook, phone, tablet, etc. You also have all your conversations backed up across devices and for when you flash a new ROM.

          • This…I primarily use SMS. I occasionally use GroupMe and WhatsApp. Everybody I know with an Android phone doesn’t use Hangouts. Everybody else has iMessage (my entire family). Here I have to pay a dopey $10/month extra to Verizon all to have enough SMS messaging.

          • I guess what I mean is guaranteed delivery. It’s not a server-stored platform with push messaging behind it. It simply shoots the things through the cellular network and hopes for the best. Even the delivery confirmation isn’t guaranteed to make its way back, if I were to guess.

          • Using the ‘Messaging’ app, I never have an issue. Hangouts, on the other hand, can’t seem to figure out how to download group MMS, even after I re-add access points and go through all of the other settings that Google recommends looking at. I’ve completely given up and I also have 2 roommates with Verizon that have stopped using it for the very same reason.

        • Yes. I’ve even got my friends and family that have iPhones to download Hangouts. I’m apparently very influential. lolz

          • Yeah, my friends would never do that. 95% of my friends have iphones and they all hate me since they can’t iMessage me.

          • Having proprietary messaging platforms really sucks, and nobody is doing it that well because of that. The one app I wish Apple would release on Android is iMessage because Google has really dropped the ball. But that’s not going to happen.

            Even Hangouts on iOS is better. You can send videos for crying out loud!

          • It’s that or SMS. I choose reliable messaging for now. But I agree, I despise Hangouts’ UI.

    • I agree I don’t understand it. Text messaging is the only universal way to message anyone on any platform without forcing them to download some app they don’t want such as hangouts or Facebook messenger.

    • Seriously. If I get a phone call nowadays, it’s either a wrong number, bad news, really good news that couldn’t wait for a text, or someone I’m ignoring via text so they try to call me.

    • Ikr. They actually did a poll a few months ago and if I remember correctly, text messaging was the majority. I don’t know if DL expects us to have WiFi or data every where to use an instant messaging app. Regardless I do use IM apps, but I still use SMS quite a lot.

    • Isn’t sms primarily only popular in the US/Canada? My family from Mexico all use whatsapp. We used hangouts primarily at work since we can reliably get someone on either their phone or their computer. As a result I tend to only use Hangouts and managed to get everyone I talk to on a regular basis to use Hangouts.

      I also thought I read that things like whatsapp are very popular in Europe (and I have no idea what they use in Asia / Africa / Middle East).

    • I hear you… I read that opening sentence and thought, “Who DOESN’T text message?” A poll is a fantastic idea. I only use Hangouts for people that weirdly don’t want to text via SMS (which is only one person, honestly), and I’m not on Facebook.

      And like someone above me said, SMS/text is the only universal way to message anyone on almost any platform and not require a 3rd-party app.

      Messenger is beautiful. The few/far between shortcomings are FAR OUTWEIGHED by how awesome it is.

    • I was thinking the same exact thing when I read that line. Like there is really a better option? Email? Who the hell exchanges email addresses with new friends?

    • Yeah, right?! {lease tell me what super hip cool way the kids are communicating these days so that I can ditch those darned dusty old texts. For crying out loud, whether it’s Hangouts or Messenger. . . you are still sending a text, lol.

    • That was the first thing I thought to. I can’t think of anyone that doesn’t text message. I think a poll is necessary.

    • I only text work related people. Even that it’s because I have no unneeded apps on my work phone.

      Everything else goes though IM.

    • I rarely send SMS anymore. I, as well as most of my friends and family, use hangouts.

      SMS needs to go away.

    • I agree. I never understood Hangouts either and am in lust with Messenger. Only issue I have is when you’re offline and can’t use Messenger. What then?

    • Just because they added SMS as a feature doesn’t indicate that it’s supposed to replace the text app…especially considering they just created a brand new messenger app less than a year ago.

    • They did it because the carriers wanted people to need to SMS, so that dinosaur of a platform could keep making them money. Also, data-based messaging platforms are really, really fragmented, with no ability to unify them. It really sucks.

      • Most everyone I have come into contact since smartphones existing still text messages I don’t understand how people can live without it. Using multiple apps just to message different people sounds the opposite of productive yet SMS is cross platform and on every single carrier including prepaid.

    • Hangouts is still as much the “one messaging app to rule them all” as it was before, this is just for people who want a more conventional carrier SMS experience and find using Hangouts for that purpose confusing. Also, Google has a habit of competing with itself to satisfy different users and to see what works best.

    • Hangouts and Messenger?

      Because Hangouts is a complete mess and people outside of the US didn’t understand it. So they made simple, easy, beautiful Messenger.

  • Maybe they should worry about that awful bug on the S6 that sends messages to the wrong people. Can’t wait till my boss gets to see my dong because of Google.

    • Hangouts has always had too many issues for me. The main one that keeps me from using it is when you also use the google keyboard it defaults the enter key to that STUPID ASS emoticon button with no way to default it back to the enter key.

      Until google gives us a choice there hangouts is completely dead to me.

        • I know that, but I shouldn’t have to switch it; ever. There should just be an option, dumb ass emoticon button or enter key.

          Apparently google thinks texting is just for friends and family and not business.

          I text tons of different people throughout a day, most on a professional business level (no emoticons!) and I use the enter key a LOT to seperate points/statements.

          Its annoying as hell. So, no hangouts for me until google grows up.

        • I didn’t think that Google Voice supported MMS, and just sent them all one by one, or switched over to your text plan. I have been using it more lately, so I might be totally out of the loop now.

      • Swype finally updated their app and added a return to the long press emoticon button

  • I think at this point they’d be better off integrating hangouts and google voice messages into the messenger app. The messenger team seems way more competent anyway.

    • One way or the other, I do wish Google would stop releasing multiple products intended for nearly identical purposes, and merge them into one. I don’t care which one.

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