Other alternatives:
A reason to avoid the stock SMS app on Android:
Android’s Messages, Dialer apps quietly sent text, call info to Google
Google’s Messages and Dialer apps for Android devices have been collecting and sending data to Google without specific notice and consent, and without offering the opportunity to opt-out, potentially in violation of Europe’s data protection law.
According to a research paper, “What Data Do The Google Dialer and Messages Apps On Android Send to Google?” [PDF], by Trinity College Dublin computer science professor Douglas Leith, Google Messages (for text messaging) and Google Dialer (for phone calls) have been sending data about user communications to the Google Play Services Clearcut logger service and to Google’s Firebase Analytics service.
“The data sent by Google Messages includes a hash of the message text, allowing linking of sender and receiver in a message exchange,” the paper says. “The data sent by Google Dialer includes the call time and duration, again allowing linking of the two handsets engaged in a phone call. Phone numbers are also sent to Google.”
The timing and duration of other user interactions with these apps has also been transmitted to Google. And Google offers no way to opt-out of this data collection.
No. Unless Google opens it up there won’t be.
The blame always goes to Apple, but iMessage was developed because no one could get their shit together with RCS. RCS predates iMessage by a few years.
It’s ridiculous that you have to use a third party if you want consistent cross platform messaging.
As anyone who has tried knows, getting people to switch to something else where I on Android can seamlessly connect to you on iOS is a huge hassle.
Apple are implementing RCS
They might only because they were forced by EU and the problem above remains. It will continue being a closed ecosystem with no other options for consumers.
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