Last updated: 29 Apr 2021 | Watching time: 4 minutes
Ordinary messaging is still a major part of communications. Over 6 billion SMS messages are sent every day just in the US. Having a fast and easy to use messaging application can help in many ways. The blog post explores both and covers: Google Messages vs Samsung Messages.
A pure Android device comes with Google Messages, also known as Android Messages, installed on most Android phones. Samsung devices come with Samsung Messages which is limited to Samsung mobiles. Samsung Galaxy Note10+ was used to complete this comparison.
Interface
Google Messages uses a classic interface with a search bar and the main menu button on the top and a new chat button down the bottom, which shrinks as you scroll. Swiping on each conversation moves the conversation to archive. You can see the archived chats in the top-right menu.
Google Messages shows one line of text preview, while Samsung Messages shows two lines giving you more text to read. It also leaves some space for pinned and favourite conversations. The option is in the top-right menu of each conversation.
Like Google Messages, we have the search bar, menu, and new conversation buttons on Samsung Messages. The contacts option is distinctive, which shows your contacts.
Google Message displays formatted and spaced phone numbers, while Samsung Messages shows the country code with no spaces.
While typing the message, Google Messages displays whether you are sending an SMS or MMS. By default, it’s an SMS, but if you add a file, an image, etc., the text converts to MMS.
Moreover, a chat in bold indicates unread messages on Google Messages, and you can see the total number of unread chats next to each conversation in Samsung Messages.
Dark theme
Both offer a dark theme, but the problem with Samsung Messages relies on the mobile’s night mode. We don’t have a separate option to enable the app’s dark theme. If your phone doesn’t offer a dark theme, then Samsung Messages will be in the light theme.
Related: SwiftKey vs. Samsung Keyboard
Google Messages, on the other hand, comes with the dark theme option.
Message tools
This is one of the prominent rounds of Google Messages vs. Samsung Messages, as the more features you get, the better. Both support many options to send in a message. The below table shows the combined features with supported features.
| Feature | Google Messages | Samsung Messages |
|---|---|---|
| Image | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Video | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Audio recording | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Contact info | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| GIF | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Stickers | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Emoji | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Location | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| File | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Notes | ❌ | ✔️ Samsung Notes |
| Schedule message | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Web searches | ✔️ (limited) | ❌ |
| Events | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Quick responses | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Smart reply | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Add subject | ❌ | ✔️ |
Out of 16 elements, both support 12.
Smart reply
Smart reply is a feature in Google Messages that shows some possible responses depending on the last received message. It uses AI to predict the most related responses to the message. You also see options to send an emoji or search for GIFs and stickers according to the last message received.
Spam detection
Google Messages uses its own service, while Samsung Messages takes the data from Hiya to identify spam and scam callers in mobile calls and messages. A user can also report spam messages in the app.
Notifications
Overall, Google Messages gets this round as it offers more AI techniques to deal with messages. If you get a copyable code message, you find a button to copy the code. For a standard message, this button turns into a reply button.
Samsung Messages shows notifications with message details, mark as read, and view message options. Both support pop-up notifications on Samsung devices, and both are supported on Samsung Galaxy watches.
Use of internet
Google Messages can use the internet to
- Send and receive messages
- Let other people know that you have read the message
- When you start typing
The feature is called RCS. Another feature of Google Messages is working with Google Duo to send video and audio messages and calls.
The buttons are only visible if you have Google Duo installed, and the receiver can receive messages and calls if they have Google Duo installed.
Link previews
Link previewing is a standard feature, and both apps support previewing. Google Messages comes with options such as filter out the links, download over Wi-fi, while Samsung Messages only offers to enable and disable this feature.
Messages for web
Another cool tool of Google Messages is a service called Messages for the web. Like WhatsApp Web, Messages for web is a service that allows you to send and receive messages on your computer. The user must scan the barcode using the app to use this service, while the computer can be saved for future use.
Related: SwiftKey vs. Gboard | The Ultimate Showdown
The website comes with some the tools, such as the dark theme. Chat features settings, data warnings, notifications, etc. Most of the options are automatically synced with the app.
One can go to https://messages.google.com to access the messages. Samsung Messages does not offer a built-in web messaging service, but with the help of Samsung SideSync, one can send messages from the PC.
Settings
Well, most of the settings, such as chat features, notifications, pin, etc., have already been covered. Let’s check some rare features which might make a difference. Google Messages offers to enable/disable the ongoing sound, change the user’s country, manage group messaging (MMS), auto-download MMS, auto-download while roaming, and deliver reports.
Samsung Messages comes with options to manage the notifications, quick responses, delivery reports, input mode, old messages, and message centre.
Permissions
This might be the least exciting section of this comparison, but it’s a part of it. Google Messages requests to use the camera, microphone, contacts, location, storage, SMS, and telephone. Samsung Messages contrarily requires the same permissions with additional call logs permission. Each permission can be toggled off on the apps’ info screen.
Video
Still confused? The video shows the side by side comparison of Google Messages and Samsung Messages. You also get to see the apps visually. The video was published in January 2020, and depending on the current time, some features might be different.
Which one is for you?
Regarding the style and look, I prefer Samsung Messages because it’s a part of Samsung’s most famous One UI. Still, in the end, I like Google Messages because of its robust AI-based code detection, spam protection, smart replays, web searches, and other features. Overall, Google Messages takes this comparison.
Conclusion
The comparison of Google Messages vs. Samsung Messages covered the essential topics. I hope the article helped to figure out which one to use. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
Very clear and helpful, thank you
Thanks. Glad you found it helpful.
Samsung came up with the horrific idea of truncating long messages and requiring you to click a “view all” button which opens ANOTHER WINDOW in order to read the rest of the message.
Yeah, that’s a useless feature.
This is why I switched to Google Messages. For this one reason.
Which reason to be specific?
I use Samsung sms on my Note 10 only because it gives me the ability to switch from different categories such as family, friends, work – which gives me the ability to narrow down my choices of who I’m looking to text. Does Google have something similar? I love its features but sometimes I want to get right to what I’m looking for. Thank you
Samsung has gif….
I thin, that’s a part of the keyboard app? Isn’t it?
Only 2 questions.
1. What good is a messaging app that only talks to ONE brand of phone?
2. Are you really telling me that Samsung Message ONLY talks to Samsung phones?
Jim Stinson
Lake Charles, LA
Samsung Messages can only be installed on Samsung devices. You can’t install it on any other Android or iOS devices.
Messages apps fall back to SMS on phones that don’t support the origin app.
Conclusion – “go read the article for conclusion, thanks”
The schedule message is my biggest draw to Samsung. If I tell someone I’ll message them and remind them about something I can set the message right away and forgot about it.
In Google Messages, If you long click the send message triangle it will pop up a screen that lets you schedule message send date & time.
No, I have checked that. It only shows an urgent option, which converts the SMS into an MMS.
Actually, that works for me. I hold the triangle down and I get a schedule option (Google Messages). Perhaps your on an older version? I just checked before I was going to move to Samsung messages – because I use scheduling a lot with emails etc, for colleagues friends in different timezones.
Props to you for staying active in the comments section months after the article is posted. However I just tried this and it does work. Gonna finally ditch textra for Google messages
Thanks for that, guys. For a few months, I have been using Signal as my default messaging app, so I did not get a chance to try it, but I just checked and held on to the send button to schedule the message. I have updated the article.
I have a Samsung Galaxy phone (Tracfone). If I switch to Google Messages, will my current contacts on the phone be accessible? Also, is there any issue in setting Google as the default SMS app? Thank you.
Yes. Google Messages does not have any link with phone contacts, and there should not be any issue in making Google Messages the default app.
I’m a pretty big fan of third party SMS (YAATA, Textra being the two I used the most) however neither of them support RCS just yet and now that Google’s implementation of RCS via Jibe is seemingly a lot more stable than just even two months ago, I’m sticking with it as more and more of my family and friends are using Google Messages. Even my brother, who was a dyed-in-the-wool Samsung fanboy switched today to Messages. I dumped the third-party SMS until they decide to implement RCS (which I’m not sure if it’s even those apps developers faults if they don’t have access to any kind of API to do this with). The only feature I really liked, especially with YAATA, was the ability to customize haptic patterns per contact. I realize Messages allows for personalized notification sounds per contact, but wish they would implement the customizable haptic patterns. That would make it perfect. Especially since I use a Google flagship device (Pixel 4a).
I TOTALLY get choosing Samsung messages for the look and feel. One of the satisfying things about Samsung phones is downloading themes that splash across the system including the settings menu and icons. This also includes other apps like Samsung keyboard and messages, making the theme more ‘complete ‘ somehow.
But, I must agree with the conclusion of the article, giving the nod to Google for RCS, smart replies, and just more overall AI stuff. I think G Board even gets the edge over Samsung keyboard.
Thanks, Jamie. I like Samsung Keyboard, but Gbaord is many steps ahead. One thing I used to miss in Gboard was message scheduling, but it is available in Gboard now.