Skinned Google Messages

[subguy812]

I wish I had the ability to have the same options I have on my Pixel 6 Pro and Google Messages. I love how on P6P the messages has a sort feature on the main screen(all,personal,business), I miss the iPhone emojis working(no more "? liked this") and the ability to send videos without losing quality via the Google Photos link. These may appear to be insignificant if you have never had these features but you do miss them when you have had them

Not sure why Sammy chose to skin the app.

 

[mustang7757]

My Pixel 6pro doesn't have iPhone reactions, the Google/Samsung collaboration message app same a regular google except it has One UI design

 

[cckgz4]

If you sign up as a beta tester, they should have those features available I think

 

[mustang7757]

If you sign up as a beta tester, they should have those features available I think

Yeah i believe beta still has it

 

[Will_T]

If you sign up as a beta tester, they should have those features available I think

I have been trying out Google Messages and have the Beta version. This is how it is working so far for me. I have the ability to enable Chat/RCS in settings. However, those features do not work for me yet across the divide with iPhone users. I have read that they should work if I message other Android Google Messages Beta users, but I don't yet have any message with other Beta users yet that I am aware of. So even though Chat features are enabled, I have not seen anything of them yet in any of my messages.

There are no additional skinning, theme or color customization options available in settings on my Beta version, other than the Light or Dark Themes. I really do wish Google Messages had more visual customizations. I am OK with the green and gray bubbles in messages but it would be nice to be able to change those. What I really don't like about the visual interface is the Home Screen. On either the light or dark theme, there is really no differentiation between the message threads in the list. It is just a flat panel visually.

Also, I don't like the way that the Home Screen keeps dropping down so that the top 1/2 of the page is a big wasted space with a "Messages" header and then the number of unread messages. You can drag the messages up so you are using the entire real estate of the home screen, but it wants to keep jumping back to the top, with that 1/2 page of empty space. To be fair, I think the Samsung Messages app home page does the same thing.

I also wish there was a supported stand alone Windows app. For example, like the one MySMS uses. You can have a tab open in a browser with your messages, but that is all.

 

[justafew]

Yeah i believe beta still has it

Not on the S22, as of yet. I'm a beta tester and in the Play Store it says I'm a beta tester. But as it's a Samsung skinned client, it doesn't include the latest. On my S20+, it shows the latest update as March 5. On the S22+, it shows the latest update as Feb 22. The key is if you look at the version it shows messages.android_20220222_01_RC00.phone_samsung_dynamic

So while my beta on my S20+ had iphone reactions, category grouping and video links - the S22+ version does not.

 

[mustang7757]

Not on the S22, as of yet. I'm a beta tester and in the Play Store it says I'm a beta tester. But as it's a Samsung skinned client, it doesn't include the latest. On my S20+, it shows the latest update as March 5. On the S22+, it shows the latest update as Feb 22. The key is if you look at the version it shows messages.android_20220222_01_RC00.phone_samsung_dynamic

So while my beta on my S20+ had iphone reactions, category grouping and video links - the S22+ version does not.

I think the regular google message app in beta has it , but thanks for for verifying this app in beta

 

[holz75]

Not on the S22, as of yet. I'm a beta tester and in the Play Store it says I'm a beta tester. But as it's a Samsung skinned client, it doesn't include the latest. On my S20+, it shows the latest update as March 5. On the S22+, it shows the latest update as Feb 22. The key is if you look at the version it shows messages.android_20220222_01_RC00.phone_samsung_dynamic

So while my beta on my S20+ had iphone reactions, category grouping and video links - the S22+ version does not.

Does the beta version on your S22+ have that stupid "Messages" wasted space header? I'll surely join the beta if I can get rid of that!

 

[Will_T]

I think the regular google message app in beta has it , but thanks for for verifying this app in beta

It is confusing to me when "Regular" or "Samsung Skinned" or "Google/Samsung Collaboration" Google Messages is referred to. Just to be clear to anyone who reads my posts about Google Messages Beta... I just have the version installed from the Play Store. I thought it is the same version that anyone using a phone other than Samsung would also get so maybe would be called "Regular"? And I didn't think it has any relationship to Samsung, other than I installed it on my Samsung phone. But, like justafew, my version shows as "messages.android_20220222_01_RC00.phone_samsung_dynamic" and that would imply it is somehow specific to Samsung. Weird.

There are too many apps in the Play Store with "Messages" in their name!

With those caveats, I would just confirm again that I have seen no evidence of the chat features in any of my messages with either Android or iPhone users. And I have specifically had a couple of iPhone users send me thumbs up or other replies. I do not get the emoji, I get text that says something similar to: "...'person's name' liked your message"

 

[mustang7757]

It is confusing to me when "Regular" or "Samsung Skinned" or "Google/Samsung Collaboration" Google Messages is referred to. Just to be clear to anyone who reads my posts about Google Messages Beta... I just have the version installed from the Play Store. I thought it is the same version that anyone using a phone other than Samsung would also get so maybe would be called "Regular"? And I didn't think it has any relationship to Samsung, other than I installed it on my Samsung phone. But, like justafew, my version shows as "messages.android_20220222_01_RC00.phone_samsung_dynamic" and that would imply it is somehow specific to Samsung. Weird.

There are too many apps in the Play Store with "Messages" in their name!

With those caveats, I would just confirm again that I have seen no evidence of the chat features in any of my messages with either Android or iPhone users. And I have specifically had a couple of iPhone users send me thumbs up or other replies. I do not get the emoji, I get text that says something similar to: "...'person's name' liked your message"

The s22 has Google/Samsung collaboration which is Samsung dynamic, not available in play store to download.
Google message app is available to download on any device through play store

 

[Will_T]

The s22 has Google/Samsung collaboration which is Samsung dynamic, not available in play store to download.
Google message app is available to download on any device through play store

Why does my version have "phone_samsung_dynamic" in the name? That would seem to imply the Google/Samsung collaboration version. But, it is just the version you find in the Play Store that I downloaded. I am obviously missing something in my understanding of which version is which. Sorry for being a bit dense.

 

[mustang7757]

Why does my version have "phone_samsung_dynamic" in the name? That would seem to imply the Google/Samsung collaboration version. But, it is just the version you find in the Play Store that I downloaded. I am obviously missing something in my understanding of which version is which. Sorry for being a bit dense.

You have the s22 ? It comes stock

This my Fold3 that doesn't have Google /Samsung colab , download from play store

 

[mustang7757]

My pixel 6pro same as my fold 3

 

[Will_T]

You have the s22 ? It comes stock

This my Fold3 that doesn't have Google /Samsung colab , download from play store

I will have to spend more time figuring out exactly what I have. I thought I unistalled and then downloaded from the Play Store to get the Google Version. Then signed up for Beta. I must have done something different that I am just not remembering correctly. (Lots of setup etc. over the past few days with a new phone.)

Assuming I have the Samsung version of Messages, is there a way to replace it with the Google Version?

 

[mustang7757]

I will have to spend more time figuring out exactly what I have. I thought I unistalled and then downloaded from the Play Store to get the Google Version. Then signed up for Beta. I must have done something different that I am just not remembering correctly. (Lots of setup etc. over the past few days with a new phone.)

Assuming I have the Samsung version of Messages, is there a way to replace it with the Google Version?

That you have download alliance shield or package Disabler pro and disable it then get the google message from apk mirror and try that , i havnt done it to see if it will work because on the s22 u cant disable or uninstall google/Samsung message or Samsung stock without those 2 apps i mentioned.

 

[Will_T]

This is part of what is confusing me. Why do I have two entries for "Messages" in my app list? Different file sizes and different icons and if you open and compare both, there are very slight differences in the skin or look of each. Both work though when set as the default.

 

[mustang7757]

This is part of what is confusing me. Why do I have two entries for "Messages" in my app list? Different file sizes and different icons and if you open and compare both, there are very slight differences in the skin or look of each. Both work though when set as the default.

View attachment 342774

Top is Google/Samsung colab
Bottom is Samsung stock

 

[Will_T]

Top is Google/Samsung colab
Bottom is Samsung stock

Thanks. So the bottom stock came with the phone and the top must be what I remember downloading from the Play Store.

 

[holz75]

Thanks. So the bottom stock came with the phone and the top must be what I remember downloading from the Play Store.

The top should've been included on your phone. It came as my default message app on my 22+. When you update that message app, the store knows you have a Samsung phone or app and gives you the "samsung_dynamic" version.

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks. So the bottom stock came with the phone and the top must be what I remember downloading from the Play Store.

No, not s22 both apps come stock
My screenshot