The dreaded slow loading pictures and names in the native text messages app

[law2010]

Alright all, Android Kitkat 4.4 was unveiled today. Along with its unveiling came news of Google Hangouts now integrating SMS, MMS, and animated gifs. Essentially, Google Hangouts can be your one-stop shop text messaging app to replace the slow native one on the DNA. Droid-Life has the APK download mirror on their site. I downloaded and installed the new Hangouts and sure enough, it imported all of my SMS conversations and now I have been able to remove the awful native text messaging app.

I highly recommend giving it a try if you are tired of the slow loading name problem when trying to text people through the native DNA app.

http://www.droid-life.com/2013/10/31/download-hangouts-2-0-012-with-sms-integration/

The only reason I wanted Sense 5 was to hopefully get a better text messaging app. Now that Verizon has indefinitely delayed giving us the update that was promised and is vaguely alluding to the end of the year, I no longer need to keep checking for the Sense 5 update. The only thing that irritated me about this phone has just been solved by Google.

 

[Mav3rick41]

Thanks for this. Awesome find.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk

 

[law2010]

Anytime. I have been using the new Hangouts app since that apk hit the web a few hours after 4.4 and the Nexus 5 was released. It really did solve my only major gripe with the DNA. I will be keeping my DNA until it dies now!

 

[rpsilva1995]

Thanks for posting it.. sideloaded it and its working great

Posted via Android Central App

 

[pblakk]

So has this Hangouts sideload been pretty stable for you guys?

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using AC Forums mobile app

 

[gunzkevin]

So has this Hangouts sideload been pretty stable for you guys?

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using AC Forums mobile app

Sideloaded it two days ago, so far it has been great minus two small things.
1. Doesn't show the number of new messages on the icon for me.
2. In swiftkey, it converted my enter key (to start a new line of text), into a smiley with the enter key being a long press option. Only semi annoying. On sense keyboard enter sends the message all together, I figure having the option is better than not.
But other than that it has been great. Messages load instantly, it has never crashed, MMS and SMS both work great, and most importantly, names always appear instead of numbers; where I have to wait until the name loads to select the conversation.
It also didn't import my conversations from the messenger app but it is a non-issue for me.

Great find OP, thanks again!

 

[law2010]

The app has been very stable for me so far. I have not had any issues yet. I am glad to be free of the slow loading names in the normal messages app.

I was playing with the blue aluminum HTC One the other day and I was very impressed by how snappy the operating system was over Sense 4.0+. I am curious as to whether the HTC One has the leggy message problem or if it was resolved with Sense 5.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[pblakk]

thanks guys. yep the Sense native messaging app is annoying

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using AC Forums mobile app

 

[waxpatch]

It's certain types of messages that slow down the app, particularly multiple recipients.