About Messages
Meet Messages, Google's official app for texting (SMS, MMS) and chat (RCS). Message anyone from anywhere with the reliability of texting and the richness of chat. Stay in touch with friends and family, send group texts, and share your favorite pictures, GIFs, emoji, stickers, videos and audio messages.
Chat features (RCS)
On supported carriers, you can send and receive messages over Wi-Fi or your data network, see when friends are typing or when they have read your message, share images and videos in high quality, and more.
Clean, intuitive, and comfortable design
Instant notifications, smart replies and a fresh new design make communicating faster and more fun. With dark mode, you can use Messages comfortably in low-light situations.
Easy sharing
Select or take pictures and videos directly from the app and share easily. You can even send audio messages to your contacts.
Richer conversations
Send audio messages, emoji, stickers, or your location. You can also send and receive payments with Google Pay.
Powerful search
Now you can find more of the content shared in your conversations: tap on the search icon and select a specific contact to see your messaging history with them and all the photos, videos, addresses or links you shared with each other.
Messages is supported on devices running Android™ 5.0 Lollipop and above.
Messages details
Messages is a free Communication app for Android with 1,000,000,000+ installs on Google Play and a 4.5/5 average rating from 2,998,449 ratings. It was released on November 12, 2014 and last updated on May 6, 2020.
- Category
- Communication
- Rating
- 4.5 / 5 (2,998,449 ratings)
- Installs
- 1,000,000,000+
- Price
- Free
- In-app purchases
- No
- Ads
- No ads
- Size
- Varies with device
- Requires Android
- Varies with device
- Content rating
- Everyone
- Released
- November 12, 2014
- Last updated
- May 6, 2020
What’s new in Messages
• Bug fixes and stability improvements.
Updated May 6, 2020
Alternatives to Messages
Looking for apps like Messages? Here are 6 similar Android apps on Google Play. The highest rated is Messenger: Text Messages, SMS (4.5/5), and all 6 are free to download.
Textra SMS
Textra is an alternative to your stock SMS/MMS app (that came preinstalled...
Signal Private Messenger
Millions of people use Signal every day for free and instantaneous communication...
Messenger: Text Messages, SMS
Messenger app for text (SMS, MMS) makes it easy, expressive, and fun...
QKSMS
We’re making texting magical again. QKSMS is the most beautiful messaging experience...
Messenger
Be together whenever, with our free* all-in-one communication app, complete with unlimited...
Chomp SMS
Want an ultra-customizable alternative to your stock Android SMS / MMS app?Well...
| App | Rating | Price | Installs | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messages | 4.5 / 5 | Free | 1,000,000,000+ | May 6, 2020 |
| Textra SMS | 4.4 / 5 | Free | 10,000,000+ | – |
| Signal Private Messenger | 4.4 / 5 | Free | 10,000,000+ | – |
| Messenger: Text Messages, SMS | 4.5 / 5 | Free | 1,000+ | – |
| QKSMS | 4.0 / 5 | Free | 500,000+ | – |
| Messenger | 4.1 / 5 | Free | 5,000,000,000+ | Sep 15, 2026 |
| Chomp SMS | 4.3 / 5 | Free | 10,000,000+ | – |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Messages?
What are chat features (RCS)?
What are the features of Messages' design?
Can you share pictures and videos easily with Messages?
What are the richer conversations features of Messages?
Can you search for content shared in conversations with Messages?
What devices are supported for Messages?
