iMessage with Android? Thinking of switching from Apple, but...

[nickgalaxys4]

Make that jump. Take it from me who had every iPhone out there also I got the S4 about one week ago today and can't see me without it.

 

[keyzlife]

Google Hangout app is now available for iPhone and android. You can group chat and group video message. Try it out. I personally liked it better when it was Google talk but it still serves its purpose.

sent from my T-Mobile Galaxy S?4 with Tapatalk 4

 

[iN8ter]

Hangouts requires Google+ to send a picture if not period on iOS. A lot of iOS users won't go there.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mystai]

disregard

 

[Ry]

Downloading a new app that everyone else has to download isn't an elegant solution, IMO.

 

[robjulo]

Downloading a new app that everyone else has to download isn't an elegant solution, IMO.

You don't need to. I have tested this. You can group message iPhone users. It will simply go through as MMS. I tested this with my iPhone, my friend's iPhone and another friends GS4. All group messages went through to all devices. As soon as an iPhone user includes a user who is not an iMessage user in a group text, the iPhone changes from iMessage to MMS.

 

[Ry]

You don't need to. I have tested this. You can group message iPhone users. It will simply go through as MMS. I tested this with my iPhone, my friend's iPhone and another friends GS4. All group messages went through to all devices. As soon as an iPhone user includes a user who is not an iMessage user in a group text, the iPhone changes from iMessage to MMS.

Exactly.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

You don't need to. I have tested this. You can group message iPhone users. It will simply go through as MMS. I tested this with my iPhone, my friend's iPhone and another friends GS4. All group messages went through to all devices. As soon as an iPhone user includes a user who is not an iMessage user in a group text, the iPhone changes from iMessage to MMS.

The problem is that it each message the SMS user sends comes out in a separate
thread for the iPhone users in the group chat. Each and every message.

 

[Ry]

The problem is that it each message the SMS user sends comes out in a separate
thread for the iPhone users in the group chat. Each and every message.

Are you sure this happens with the GS4 and iMessage devices?

 

[madlaw1071]

You don't need to. I have tested this. You can group message iPhone users. It will simply go through as MMS. I tested this with my iPhone, my friend's iPhone and another friends GS4. All group messages went through to all devices. As soon as an iPhone user includes a user who is not an iMessage user in a group text, the iPhone changes from iMessage to MMS.

LOL maybe if you say it one more time it will sink in to people that the S4 allows group message with iPhone users.

 

[swiedom]

The problem is that it each message the SMS user sends comes out in a separate
thread for the iPhone users in the group chat. Each and every message.

This isn't what happens. The iPhone user can't tell the difference. As long as they have group chat turned on just like we have to.

 

[sstephen17]

I came from a 4S to the GS4. I can verify that group chat does work with iMessage users. I have three groups where I am the only non-iMessage users and it works fine. I can see all their texts in the same group message and vice versa. When I first tested it however, I did not disable iMessage on the phone, nor did I unassociate my 4S with my cell phone number online with my Apple account. When I sent a group text, they could see it, but I could not see their responses. This was fixed after doing both.

 

[techno1ogy]

Hey Planoman,

I've heard of an App on Android called iMessage and it's supposed to function as Apple's iMessage does. I don't have an android phone, but was thinking of making the switch. Is this app any good? Thanks.

 

[mhinc]

BBM is coming this summer to Android and iOS. It's going to KICK the pants off imessage and any other real time app out there, and it will work across 3 major platforms.
Blackberry, Android and iOS.
Should be out soon but no official release date. Sign up here to know first
BBM for Android & iOS - Download BlackBerry Messenger with BBM Video & Screen Share - Canada

 

[Farish]

BBM is coming this summer to Android and iOS. It's going to KICK the pants off imessage and any other real time app out there, and it will work across 3 major platforms.
Blackberry, Android and iOS.
Should be out soon but no official release date. Sign up here to know first
BBM for Android & iOS - Download BlackBerry Messenger with BBM Video & Screen Share - Canada

You realize the part of the whole point of iMessage is SMS integration and their being no need for you or all your contacts to install a 3rd party app. If somebody sends a text to a iPhone it also shows up on their iMac/Macbook and iPad. They can even respond back with both devices.

Most of the messaging apps on the Market are better than BBM just because they also will allow you to buy or provide a phone number so you can text with to people without them having to install a 3rd party app. Also those apps will work with phones that aren't smartphones since they can still send a text message.

Google Hangouts is suppose to get SMS integration, this may be the the closet thing to an iMessage competitor once that is done.

 

[Farish]

Hey Planoman,

I've heard of an App on Android called iMessage and it's supposed to function as Apple's iMessage does. I don't have an android phone, but was thinking of making the switch. Is this app any good? Thanks.

It is just another messaging app, but it is not on the same level. The only thing similar to iMessage is Mightytext. I have tried it, it is ok, but not great. The problem with it is you can't use Mightytext if your phone is powered off, where as iMessage will work on your iMac or iPad even if your iPhone is off.

 

[planoman]

Hey Planoman,

I've heard of an App on Android called iMessage and it's supposed to function as Apple's iMessage does. I don't have an android phone, but was thinking of making the switch. Is this app any good? Thanks.

Not sure. On my S4 I use the stock messaging app which uses SMS and luckily I have an iPhone 5, iPad 4 and Macbook Pro with I can iMessage with my family. My young kids can imessage me while I am working or traveling from their ipod touches or iPads. It is simplicity!

- - - Updated - - -

BBM is coming this summer to Android and iOS. It's going to KICK the pants off imessage and any other real time app out there, and it will work across 3 major platforms.
Blackberry, Android and iOS.
Should be out soon but no official release date. Sign up here to know first
BBM for Android & iOS - Download BlackBerry Messenger with BBM Video & Screen Share - Canada

If this happens, it would be big...but have heard this for many years.

 

[chris2k5]

Fact is, BBM isn't out of the box. iMessage is.
BBM used to be popular in like 2006 and 2007 but no longer. I don't know a single soul that uses BBM. Even my mother who still uses a Blackberry doesn't use it.

Everyone I know uses iMessage. Apple has the US and Canadian markets cornered with the iPhone. Android is low in numbers everywhere in the US I go and iPhones are all the rage even on campuses I visit.

I have around 1000 numbers in my contacts list. About 600 of those numbers are iMessage enabled. (Checked using my Mac)
If I use WhatsApp with the same contact list, only 100 have WhatsApp.

No doubt iMessage kicked everything else in the a$$ real bad. In fact, I am really considering moving back to iPhone because my S4's text messaging is so antique.

 

[r2t]

I know people has been recommending WhatsApp, but I have another alternative. May I suggest to you that you and your family give Line by Naver a try. I don't know if people in the US or in Europe ever heard of it, but it's huge in the Asian market. It's similar to WhatsApp and all other messaging services, but most importantly, it's free without any ads. You can make a free call within the app and have group chats, send voice notes, pics and videos. What made it so big in the Asian market it the ability to send "stickers" to your friends. It's basically a big emoji that's native to the app and you can buy and download many of them to send them instead of small emojis. Another big positive for me is that you are able to use this service on your PC. If you don't feel like typing on your phone, you can download it to your PC and chat away and you will still have all the chat records on your computer.

 

[Zach Lyons1]

How long after you disassociated it from you online account did it take to go through?