Comply with these steps to change off of the soon-to-be-discontinued Verizon Message+ app

Not way back, major US cellular carrier Verizon introduced its intent to close down its Message+ texting service. The app remains to be listed on each the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, however the firm is urging customers to transition to another quickly somewhat than later.

The Verizon Message+ discontinuation started in earnest on October 2, with a full shut down slated for November 7. The company recommends Android customers change to the Google Messages app, and that iPhone customers migrate to the built-in iOS Apple Messages app.

The Verizon Message+ discontinuation comes at a time through which Rich Communications Service (RCS) help is rising in each reputation and attain. This newer texting normal is safer and extra feature-rich than the old-school Brief Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) protocols.

“The message house is quickly altering and we would like you to have the most effective messaging expertise,’ says Verizon on its official support page.

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Learn how to transition away from Verizon’s Message+ app

You may need to change to another texting app earlier than November 7 hits

In case you have a Verizon Android cellphone, observe these steps emigrate off of Message+ and onto Google’s own messaging platform.

1. Navigate to the Google Play Retailer.
2. Use the Search tab to seek for Google Messages.
3. As soon as Google Messages has completed downloading and putting in, faucet on its app icon.
4. When the Google Messages app launches, faucet on Set default SMS app.
5. From right here, choose Messages after which faucet on the Set as default button.
6. Alternatively, you possibly can faucet on the Change Now button on the high of your Verizon Message+ app to shortly entry the Google Messages app listing on the Google Play Retailer.

When you’re utilizing an iPhone, you will not have to observe these steps — merely discontinue utilization of Message+ and start texting by way of Apple’s personal Messages app.

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Going ahead, Google Messages will now be preloaded on all Verizon Android gadgets, in line with the corporate. Apple’s iPhones already come preinstalled with a first-party Messages app, however this hasn’t historically been the case for Verizon-based Android handsets.

Another housekeeping ideas: as soon as the Message+ servers shut down on November 7, you will not have the ability to ship or obtain any textual content messages utilizing the Verizon app. Any messages you will have scheduled to routinely ship on or after this date may also not be despatched, in line with the corporate.

In case you have an Android cellphone and would favor to check out a texting app that is not Google Messages, then there are a variety of choices out there to select from on the Play Retailer. Some fashionable examples embrace:

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RCS is the longer term, and it has been a very long time coming

The RCS texting normal is superior to SMS in each method conceivable

The RCS texting normal has actually been around for a very long time, however solely in recent times has it begun to realize any actual traction. After Google’s quite a few botched makes an attempt at creating an Apple iMessage competitor, the search large finally determined to rally round RCS know-how to enhance the Android messaging expertise.

Google’s specific taste of RCS allows many quality-of-life texting enhancements over conventional SMS texting, most of which you are most likely already acquainted with from iMessage, WhatsApp, and different internet-based chat providers. A few of these options embrace:

• Learn receipts
• Typing indicators
• Excessive-quality picture and video sending capabilities
• Improved group chat help
• Emoji tapbacks/reactions
• Stickers
• The power to ship messages over Wi-Fi or mobile knowledge
• Finish-to-end encryption

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With the latest launch of iOS 18, Apple has begrudgingly enabled RCS help for the iPhone, in an try to fight the mounting antitrust pressures confronted by the corporate.

Verizon, for its half, first began to embrace Google’s implementation of RCS earlier this yr. This growth got here after a notoriously unsuccessful attempt throughout the American telecommunications scene to unify US cellphone carriers below their very own RCS-based normal.

Within the years to come back, RCS-based messaging is predicted to overhaul and finally totally supplant the antiquated SMS and MMS requirements. Most Android OEMs are actually embracing Google Messages, including the juggernaut that is Samsung. The iPhone’s roping in of RCS help is predicted to speed up this strategy of adoption, as properly.

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