This doesn’t come as a surprise either. Samsung went this route last year itself, shipping the Galaxy S21 series with Google Messages as the default SMS app. However, that was limited to international markets including Europe. The company is now bringing the US to the fold as well. As said earlier, Google Messages in Samsung’s Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22 phones feature a different UI than the app you see in other devices such as Google’s Pixel series. The Android maker allowed the Korean brand to tweak the interface to match the latter’s One UI, which accommodates easy one-handed use. Otherwise, it’s the same app complete with RCS features such as typing indicators, read receipts, end-to-end encryption, and more. Samsung’s own Messages app also offered RCS features but lacked things like automatic message sorting, message attachments powered by Google Assistant, and auto-deletion of OTPs (One-time passwords) after 24 hours. It had a recycle bin feature though. Hopefully, Google Messages will also add such a feature very soon so you can retrieve messages that you may have accidentally deleted.
Samsung is replacing its in-house apps with Google alternatives
Samsung tends to offer its in-house apps over Google alternatives in its Android smartphones and tablets. From Calendar, Calculator, Voice Recorder, and Gallery to Galaxy Store, Messages, and Phone, the company has its own versions of most Google apps. However, it is now seemingly trimming down on that front, shipping its newer phones with Google alternatives rather than its own. We aren’t complaining about this though. Replacing Samsung Messages with Google Messages is a welcome change. Google frequently adds new features to its SMS app. One of the upcoming new features is previews of YouTube videos. If someone sends a YouTube video link to you, Google Messages will not only show the video title and thumbnail but also generate a preview of it so you can quickly find out what it is about. This feature will debut on Samsung’s Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Tab S8 series flagships first. Of course, Android devices from other manufacturers will also gain support for YouTube previews in Google Messages down the line. We will let you know when a wider rollout begins.
