Which is the best messaging platform in your opinion, and why?

I use Hangouts more than anything else but have lately started using Discord in the past few months for real time chat between multiple people since it works quite well (in my own experience with it). I hope Google takes a break from fucking around with Hangouts for a while but something tells me they'll just keep screwing with it and sooner or later just dump it in favor of something they consider to be the Holy Grail of messages. Android Messages so far isn't all that great, I use it now and again with my carrier number but since everything I do is tied to my Google Voice number and has been for the past 7 years or so I hardly ever make use of the carrier number. I never give it out to anyone so the only way I get calls means it's spam and deleted or ignored immediately.

My only real gripe with Hangouts is - as you noticed yourself - that it reduces the quality and resolution of images I send with it and I really wish it didn't - it's kinda shitty for Google to do that, and automagically stuff them into Google Photos as well (which you have to opt out of doing unfortunately). I don't use those kinds of photo dump services, but if they'd just stop reducing the quality and altering the resolution I'd be happier than I am, for sure.
 
I use Hangouts and Facebook Messenger the most for cross-platform ubiquity, but in some ways iMessage is great... if you live in an Apple-centric household. Getting messages across your phone, computer and tablet while barely having to lift a finger? Sharing your Apple Watch activity as a message? Kinda nice.
 
I still just text using Textra. It's just a whole lot easier as everybody that has a phone can get a text message. My shift at work has a group text that we chat throughout the day and it works just fine.
 
iMessage. Its already on every iphone and the default messenger. Is the best all around messenger available with just about any feature you could want wrapped up in it.
 
Standard text messaging.
Limits my exposure.
Doesn't coke-fiend my battery life.
Just works.
Minimal spying outside the primary OS crap.

Putting a messaging app on my phone is about as attractive to me as having a sex change via belt sander with a 0-grit belt.
 
iMessage. Its already on every iphone and the default messenger. Is the best all around messenger available with just about any feature you could want wrapped up in it.

Assuming everyone you know has a iPhone

Tend to find whatsapp is most common

if Google would stop changing there mind on what chat app is best hangouts is going to business and separate chat Allo witch can't use sms to replace chat at the moment and video duo app
 
I use Pulse since it saves SMS to the cloud and I can text from the browser. It is $5.99 a year subscrption though; previously I would use the paid version of Textra and Hangouts
 
Assuming everyone you know has a iPhone

Thats the thing though, it will fall back to sms if they dont. Its the one thing that Google can't seem to get right. I can send a message to anyone on my iphone using imessage and they will get it.
 
This is why the telco fuckwits and other walled gardeners need to get out of the way of RCS so we can all have nice things.
 
They can't get out of the way of Rcs as they are The ones who need to have the servers on there network for it to work (unlike iMesaage witch apple control each network provider needs a Rcs server)

Yep Google just needs the chat app (the default sms app) to be the app that is same as allo/iMesaage

Ideally it should of been hangouts and they seem to be moving that to business only
 
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iMessage

Google could have had this beat years ago if they quit ducking around and built one thing that worked.
 
If you care about privacy, like that is your primary concern, then: "Signal". Works well. But no one is on the platform other than people concerned with privacy, which frankly isn't the average user. Mostly people that are in security based jobs or like me, that just don't like the idea of others snooping.

Outside of that, I don't think there is a "best". Best to me is really going to be defined by which platform people are actually using. And I'll tell you right now that it's basically impossible to get everyone you know to migrate onto a single platform. It's hard enough to get organizations to do so.
I'm involved in a lot of organizations or groups that all use different platforms, so I've pretty much used them all. Some platforms have greater US penetration and there are others that I use just because they have better penetration overseas or within specific ethnic communities (Kakao Talk as an example is mostly a Korean user base whether here or overseas).

Right now I'm regularly in Whatsapp, and Band. FB Messenger a bit less. And Signal even less than that (since like I said, even if I wanted to use it all the time, the user base isn't there). I just also got onto Slack for another group, but so far they haven't really pushed using it, so I haven't really spent time in it. Personally I find all of these third party apps to be about the same. I like Whatsapp, because I can use it in a web interface and type on it. And I don't specifically have to use my phone. Band also has that feature. Signal does as well through Chrome/Safari plugins. I don't know of any other ones that do.

And, as already has been mentioned by others, I'm on iMessage, and that probably is the way to go for me. Truth is: I have unlimited everything, so I don't really get the point anymore of using virtually any of these apps to communicate. It's just another app that I have to open in order to do a basic function that my phone already does. Although they have some more "features", I don't think any feature outweighs convenience or ease of use. Granted using a third party app helps a bit in terms of organization and reading threads, so I'll give it that. And at this point I literally know what organization is messaging about something if it comes from a specific app.
 
Whatscrapp by faceberg. I hate it but heaps of people use it.
Skype would be second for biz.
Signal third but the source code for server is not released so is likely CIA fuckery (like the rest) and cannot be trusted.

Overall favourite by far: Retroshare. OSS, P2P, encrypted, image embedding, file sharing, groups, secure (as far as software goes) and best of all...
>greentext
But is PC/mac only for now I think.
 
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In China, everyone uses WeChat. And WeChat does it all, far more than imessage. But it's definitely a platform that is heavily control by the Chinese government. So the question whether Google should put the hammer down on messaging apps, stop letting carriers dictate RCS, etc, etc, may just come down to government regulations later.
 
I don't know about watch, but I find iMessage to be less seamless than Hangouts, even across my iOS devices. For example, when you delete a Hangouts thread on one device, every other device will reflect that change. However with iMessage, it's possible to get different devices with different messages appearing (like right now my ipad still shows a thread I deleted from my phone yesterday).

Just the fact that you can see SMS messages on your WiFi iPad is definitely a boon though (not to mention cellular calling)

Another issue I have with iMessage is that, for me, the hand-off between SMS and iMessage is not seamless. The problem arises when the person at the other end does not have data. If you have no internet connection, iMessage knows and sends an SMS. Great. If the other person has no internet connection, iMessage does not seem to be able to determine this (though I've heard people say it can) and messages get stuck in "sending". I can't force my brother to always have data, so iMessage doesn't work so well in such instances. Of course, Hangouts etc. wouldn't work at all in this case, but it's still a pity that the seamless iMessage-SMS switching aspect doesn't work well in practice.



What makes iMessage significantly better than Hangouts, aside from SMS integration (not sure why Google went backwards with this one) and a greater user base?

Hangouts does work pretty well, it's just that no one uses it.

I believe a more robust iMessage syncing is supposed to be in the pipeline soon, so we should revisit that in the next few weeks/months.

I suppose I like iMessage in part because you don't usually have to think about it, it just... happens. Lock-in notwithstanding, it's good to know that you don't have to retreat to your phone to reply to someone. I'd also point to its app platform, more robust stickers, and more Apple-specific features like Apple Pay Cash money transfers and Watch integration (including sharing workouts, hand-drawn emotes, that sort of thing). Mind you, Google could be there if it wasn't changing chat app strategies seemingly every year.
 
I use Hangouts and Facebook Messenger the most for cross-platform ubiquity, but in some ways iMessage is great... if you live in an Apple-centric household. Getting messages across your phone, computer and tablet while barely having to lift a finger? Sharing your Apple Watch activity as a message? Kinda nice.

meh, not really worth it for having to downgrade to apple devices and lose all the extra features and functionality you get with android or pc devices though.
 
meh, not really worth it for having to downgrade to apple devices and lose all the extra features and functionality you get with android or pc devices though.

Well, the grown-ups here are mature enough to know that you're not downgrading by using an Apple product. Please let me know when you're old enough to accept that Apple, Google and Microsoft products all have their advantages and disadvantages.
 
Obviously iMessage is pretty much the best messaging platform considering that alone is what seems to keep a majority of users on iOS. That's for good reason with proper SMS fallback and integrated high quality picture/video sharing, animations, drawings, gifs, etc. That said, I've been happy with Hangouts and SMS/RMS for messaging with everyone I need to.

Maybe some day Google will consolidate all of their messaging apps into one though and somewhat compete with iMessage, but that doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight at the moment still.
 
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I feel like that’s more because of a lock-in cycle than because of the actual merits. Most people don’t give a rats arse about quality when it comes to sharing photos, and I don’t see what’s so unique about that other stuff. As for the SMS fallback, that’s nowhere near as seamless and reliable in practice as it sounds on paper (as I mentioned above).

I disagree about most people caring about picture and video quality when sharing it with others. The difference in quality is huge between MMS (what most people use otherwise) and iMessage given that it has to be compressed to hell and back over MMS and looks like complete garbage in comparison. Same thing with videos. RCS is fixing most of that, but getting it to work between carriers and phones/apps is still an issue and seems like it will be for a while still until all carrier fully adopt it. Even with those issues you noted with iMessage above, it's still better that it tries to fall back than it not getting sent at all. It seems to work fine for everyone I know that uses it at least. But I meant to just say SMS integration within iMessage in general too instead of SMS fallback, which is still a good feature even if it doesn't work flawlessly.
 
I feel like that’s more because of a lock-in cycle than because of the actual merits. Most people don’t give a rats arse about quality when it comes to sharing photos, and I don’t see what’s so unique about that other stuff. As for the SMS fallback, that’s nowhere near as seamless and reliable in practice as it sounds on paper (as I mentioned above).

Most people care about the quality of the photo/video they shared or are viewing.

The SMS fall back is pretty much 100% seemless unless a recipient is not in the same country and even then that’s not really a fault of iMessage.
 
Obviously iMessage is pretty much the best messaging platform considering that alone is what seems to keep a majority of users on iOS. That's for good reason with proper SMS fallback and integrated high quality picture/video sharing, animations, drawings, gifs, etc. That said, I've been happy with Hangouts and SMS/RMS for messaging with everyone I need to.

Maybe some day Google will consolidate all of their messaging apps into one though and somewhat compete with iMessage, but that doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight at the moment still.
I really liked hangouts, I think if Google decided to fully support it it could kill the messaging fragmentation on Android.
 
I don't think they do. Maybe if it's MMS-quality they'll care, but I was thinking iMessage vs other proper messaging platforms. I know that I'm the only one in my family who notices the difference between images shared with Hangouts vs iMessage. The vast majority of images sent via iMessage are only ever viewed on <6" screens by people who aren't as discerning as the average denizen of [H].



If the recipient isn't registered with iMessage, or the sender has no internet connection, then it's seamless. Where problems arise is when the recipient has no internet connection, in which case it's anything but seamless in my experience (unless they've improved that with this latest update) Incdentally, I'm glad to see that the syncing improvements Aurelius mentioned are now in effect. That's made iMessage a whole lot better in my estimation, but the lack of cross-platform support is still a deal breaker for me.
It was one of the leading reasons why people chose iMessage over other messaging platforms early on. There’s quite a big difference between iMessage video/picture and typical text quality. Even on a sub 6” screen.
 
I don't know about watch, but I find iMessage to be less seamless than Hangouts, even across my iOS devices. For example, when you delete a Hangouts thread on one device, every other device will reflect that change. However with iMessage, it's possible to get different devices with different messages appearing (like right now my ipad still shows a thread I deleted from my phone yesterday).

Just the fact that you can see SMS messages on your WiFi iPad is definitely a boon though (not to mention cellular calling)

Another issue I have with iMessage is that, for me, the hand-off between SMS and iMessage is not seamless. The problem arises when the person at the other end does not have data. If you have no internet connection, iMessage knows and sends an SMS. Great. If the other person has no internet connection, iMessage does not seem to be able to determine this (though I've heard people say it can) and messages get stuck in "sending". I can't force my brother to always have data, so iMessage doesn't work so well in such instances. Of course, Hangouts etc. wouldn't work at all in this case, but it's still a pity that the seamless iMessage-SMS switching aspect doesn't work well in practice.



What makes iMessage significantly better than Hangouts, aside from SMS integration (not sure why Google went backwards with this one) and a greater user base?

Hangouts does work pretty well, it's just that no one uses it.

Message syncing across devices was just added to iOS 11.4. Just go into the iCloud control panel area and enable it.
 
iMessage.

  • It handles group texting great.
  • Every IOS and Apple device has it installed.
  • Lossless picture and video messaging.
  • No having to find a messaging app that everyone in your group of friends and family uses and come to an agreement to use that.
  • iMessage in the cloud now backs up and syncs all of your messages across all devices.
  • And the biggest one, SMS fallback. It blows my mind how google has dropped the ball on this. Hangouts used to have it and it and arguably made it better than iMessage, but in typical google fashion they discontinued the functionality. They decided to change their best messaging app to be a half assed attempt at being like slack.
 
I don't particularly like any of them.

Usually I just don't have a choice, and have to use whatever the person I am trying to contact uses, so a variety of standard SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. I don't use fancy features. Mostly plain text, and the occasional picture.

If I had my druthers I'd stick entirely to email. I don't see the need for instant messaging.
 
Protip: there is no best messaging app for any and all peoples, but there can be a best one (from available options) for you and how you do things yourself, sure. :)

Nobody has done it right yet with a truly useful multi-platform approach that can get a message through regardless of the actual communications medium (cellular/Wi-Fi/etc), not sure anyone ever will. Even email still has problems in today's interconnected world. Face to face is still the very best but of course that's not possible unless they're in the same room with you, and "video chat" and conferencing doesn't count. :D
 
The whole entire country of China uses WeChat. It is their social network, messaging, id and payment system... Best messaging app ever...

Not!

I use WhatsApp, Line, and Facebook Messenger with SMS on my phone
 
iMessage.

  • It handles group texting great.
  • Every IOS and Apple device has it installed.
  • Lossless picture and video messaging.
  • No having to find a messaging app that everyone in your group of friends and family uses and come to an agreement to use that.
  • iMessage in the cloud now backs up and syncs all of your messages across all devices.
  • And the biggest one, SMS fallback. It blows my mind how google has dropped the ball on this. Hangouts used to have it and it and arguably made it better than iMessage, but in typical google fashion they discontinued the functionality. They decided to change their best messaging app to be a half assed attempt at being like slack.


I guess that's great if you only ever message a minority of all people who have phones. I mean it does fallback to SMS for non-Apple users, but then you're not getting all the features.

Everyone's contact list is different though, I guess. Mine mostly has people on Android devices.
 
I guess that's great if you only ever message a minority of all people who have phones. I mean it does fallback to SMS for non-Apple users, but then you're not getting all the features.

Everyone's contact list is different though, I guess. Mine mostly has people on Android devices.

It would be nice if a majority picked a messaging app. I travel to England a lot for work and love how it’s pretty much an unspoken thing that pretty much everyone there uses WhatsApp. I think my biggest thing is I hate having to try and find an app that everyone I talk to uses.
 
I guess that's great if you only ever message a minority of all people who have phones. I mean it does fallback to SMS for non-Apple users, but then you're not getting all the features.

Everyone's contact list is different though, I guess. Mine mostly has people on Android devices.

iMessage works the same on Macs. It’s not phone only.

I think Apple would be smart to offer iMessage on other platforms for like a monthly subscription.
 
It would be nice if a majority picked a messaging app. I travel to England a lot for work and love how it’s pretty much an unspoken thing that pretty much everyone there uses WhatsApp. I think my biggest thing is I hate having to try and find an app that everyone I talk to uses.
Same thing here in Finland. Everyone uses WhatsApp no matter which platform. Never heard anyone using iMessage here.
 
iMessage works the same on Macs. It’s not phone only.

Yeah, but much fewer people have Macs than have iPhones.

I have heard of a web version though. I've never bothered to look up any more information about it though.

I think Apple would be smart to offer iMessage on other platforms for like a monthly subscription.

Do you really think people would pay for that, when there are so many free options? I certainly wouldn't.

You could make the perfect Jesus of all messaging apps, and I would never pay for it, even if it were the only messaging app in existence. I'd happily go without before doing that :p
 
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