Really want to keep my Pixel 2 XL but I can't get over how terrible the messaging is (iMessage)

[cbreze]

people hooked on iMessage and nothing else works won't leave Apple and don't you think that's what Apple wants? they're not going to easily let that go.

 

[Morty2264]

I'm sorry, OP - I definitely understand how you are feeling. When you are so heavily invested in the iOS ecosystem, and others in your circle are as well, it's hard to make the transition. I too would recommend using an app like WhatsApp.

 

[Vega007]

Another vote for WhatsApp. Even if it's owned by Facebook, it does support end to end encryption, so there is that. The only issue my family has had using WhatsApp in addition to whatever texting app is the older folk getting confused as to which conversation was where. Most people shouldn't have an issue though and might even start to prefer WhatsApp communication over texting (this has been the case with several in my family).

 

[popkurn611]

I might be a bit cynical, but I'm guessing Apple will have some dubious technical excuse why they won't support RCS in iMessage... Watch...

I 100% agree with you...Apple will not adopt it.

 

[hallux]

I 100% agree with you...Apple will not adopt it.

You guys are missing the point - RCS will REPLACE SMS/MMS. If Apple wants a stake in the smartphone game they will HAVE to support it or their customers will have no way to communicate with others at the most basic level.

 

[popkurn611]

You guys are missing the point - RCS will REPLACE SMS/MMS. If Apple wants a stake in the smartphone game they will HAVE to support it or their customers will have no way to communicate with others at the most basic level.

Pretty sure Apple will still find a way to avoid it.

 

[Ry]

You guys are missing the point - RCS will REPLACE SMS/MMS. If Apple wants a stake in the smartphone game they will HAVE to support it or their customers will have no way to communicate with others at the most basic level.

Apple hate for the sake of Apple hate.

 

[gibsonb2]

The problem is that in order to send media or messages between devices and not deal with unreasonable compression of the media, both parties need to be on the same messenger or protocol. I send pictures between my Android and my brother's iPhone no problem, but we're both using Google's Hangouts protocol (not sure what app he's using on his phone). Apple solves this between Apple devices by using the Messages protocol. It can be argued that the resistance of Apple users to use anything else (WhatsApp, Hangouts, Allo, etc) to communicate to people outside of that walled garden is causing slow adoption of alternate protocol for this. Apple users saying "use this or you don't get high quality pictures" is just as argumentative non-iPhone people trying to force iPhone users to use an alternate protocol.

We get it, using Messages you don't have to make a choice between SMS or a data protocol. Guess what - there's a world outside Apple and everybody needs to play together if we want to have open lines of communication and sharing of media. We're sorry that our choice of device doesn't fit into Apple's way of doing things. If you want to blame an entity, blame Apple for keeping their protocol so closed for so long.

My wife and I used to use WhatsApp when I would use Android and the pics, etc. we would send looked terrible because of compression. If there was a way to send them without some kind of compression, I could never find it.

 

[TheDonJ77]

Apple hate for the sake of Apple hate.

couldn't agree more

 

[tadpoles]

couldn't agree more

Apple and iOS meets a very plain, logical, and real need for a great many people...high quality, straight-forward devices, that, more often than not...just work. No reason to hate on that, there's nothing to be gained by doing so.

 

[andrew_ackley]

Apple and iOS meets a very plain, logical, and real need for a great many people...high quality, straight-forward devices, that, more often than not...just work. No reason to hate on that, there's nothing to be gained by doing so.

Honestly most people on iPhones have never even tried Android for longer than 2-3 mins at the store. They can't even begin to appreciate it.

 

[cbreze]

I have one of each so I can definitely appreciate each in their own way. The iPhone has lots going for it as does my pixel. Neither is best but both are really sweet for a pocket sized computer that also makes calls. I hate neither one, but really like both and can totally see the attraction to the iPhone people have.

 

[LeoRex]

One thing that stands out here is the polar opposite approach... The OP laments not having access to iMessage on the Pixel... A closed, proprietary messaging system on a closed hardware platform sold by a hardware company that does it's damndest to use as an anchor to keep it's users from switching platforms (which isn't a dumb move once you consider that iOS actually has a tiny market share worldwide)

Then on the other side you have a phone running an open source platform supported by a services company that tries to make it's services as platform agnostic as possible.... Including iOS, where those services are wildly popular, some even far more than Apple's own...

Except messaging, of course.

 

[Joltcola1234]

Thankfully a few of the people I regularly message with I've convinced to start using Allo. I think Allo is amazing for messaging, it's by far my favorite right now. I also use Whatsapp when needed for a few group conversations, but Allo is where it's at.

 

[Ry]

Honestly most people on iPhones have never even tried Android for longer than 2-3 mins at the store. They can't even begin to appreciate it.

Do they have to though? Why can't iPhone folks be happy with their iPhones?

 

[Joltcola1234]

Do they have to though? What can't iPhone folks be happy with their iPhones?

Of course they can be, but if they haven't spent any time with any other product then they don't have license to make an informed decision on what's best. That works in both directions as well.

 

[Ry]

Of course they can be, but if they haven't spent any time with any other product then they don't have license to make an informed decision on what's best. That works in both directions as well.

So I have to drive every vehicle so that I can pick the absolute best one? Let people like what they like. If it works for them, it works for them. Don't need to talk down to iPhone folks.

 

[Joltcola1234]

So I have to drive every vehicle so that I can pick the absolute best one? Let people like what they like. If it works for them, it works for them. Don't need to talk down to iPhone folks.

If you want to make an informed decision on what's best, then yes. How can you possibly say one thing is better then another without test driving and/or spending time with both?

 

[chriskwarren]

Other than recommending one of the common messaging apps, the op will simply have to wait until RCS becomes the norm. His issue is infrastructure back end, and any workaround is going to. Be more clunky than an additional messaging app imo.

 

[anon(1733)]

When I had the S9 plus I preferred Samsung's messenging app over Google's. Still do. But on my pixel 2 xl I like it. Probably because I don't have the option to use Samsung's anymore. But it's clean. Only wish it used a single color. I constantly have change each new thread to the color I want. I don't like different colors everywhere.