by Felipe Parada

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I know, I know, I'm a little late to the party when it comes to messaging apps. It just seems like there is a ton of messaging apps out there. I've had my experience with many of them, and they all seem to do a serviceable job letting you communicate with others. WhatsApp, Facebook Messager, Hangouts, iMessage, they all seem to have their own take on the texting experience. But one experience that has always been lackluster is Android and it's not for a lack of trying.

 

Google has finally launched Android Messages for web, a new messaging protocol based on RCS that should make the experience of texting a whole lot better. This allows Android phone users to send messages from a web app on their PC or Mac. Now this is nothing new, we've had plenty of messaging apps that worked a advertised but we've never had the killer messaging app that offers a truly unique experience. Can Android Messages be that killer app we needed?

 

Sadly, in order for Android Messages to live, Google had to abandon yet another messaging service, mainly the Allo chat app. This is Google's attempt at staying competitive with Apple's iMessage, and it seems to be working. It's safe to say that Google has experience with messaging apps since it first released Gmail back in 2009 and since then Google has gone through more that 9 variations of messaging apps (Google Wave, Buzz, Google +, Hangouts, Huddle, Google Talk, Google + Messenger, Allo, and Duo). It seems like after years of trial and error we are finally given a true Messaging app that can topple the once dominant iMessage. 

 

I didn't realize how much I rely heavily on Messages for Android. It truly is my main means of communication with other people. The desktop messaging function works almost identical to Allo if you used it at all, but to send texts in Android Messages you need to log into the website and then scan in a QR code to authenticate your account. Once your accounts have been linked then you can send and receive texts from the web browser. You just need to make sure to set Android Messages as your default messaging app for the website and the app to properly communicate. 

 

They messaging app is a breeze to use and I wonder why I haven't used this sooner. The user interface is easy on the eyes very well designed. If you've used any messaging app in the past, you kinda know what to expect. In an age where people use gifs, memes and emojis to communicate, Android Messages adds a nifty option to add all these little quirky measns of communication with relative ease. Having the ability to use both how you want when you want adds to the accessibility of the new messaging app. I'm really trying to live a life where my phone is not at all times and I believe this new messaging app will allow me to do just that. 

 

Like I said previously, this new messaging app really isn't anything new but it does offer unique options on how to communicate with your friends and family. I'm not saying that you need to switch to Android Messages right now but it's worth taking a look at. It's such a shame that many messaging apps needed to perish in order for this app to thrive.