(2017-02-24) Android Messages Will Be New Default Texting App

Android Messages will be new default Texting app Google wants you to use

Default SMS app Google offers is now called “Android Messages” instead of “Messenger.” Or rather, it will be the default RCS app. RCS, if you don’t recall, is the next-generation messaging standard supported by a group of carriers and Google. It offers multimedia messages, read receipts, and other features you’d expect from a normal chat app like WhatsApp or iMessage.

The most important phone makers — Samsung and Apple — are not included. You’ll also see that the most important carriers in the US — Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile — are also not included.

Jun29'2018: T-Mobile is starting to roll it out, and Sprint has. But Apple might not ever do it.