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Android Messages v2.3 from Developer Preview 3 adds "mark as read" to notifications, replaces settings with Notification Channels, and prepares to add smart replies [APK Download + Teardown]

Cody Toombs Cody Toombs
Android Messages v2.3 from Developer Preview 3 adds "mark as read" to notifications, replaces settings with Notification Channels, and prepares to add smart replies [APK Download + Teardown]

The third developer preview of Android O came with a stack of new versions for Google's assorted apps. Many of them are essentially unchanged from the regular versions available through the Play Store, but there are a few offering up some excellent new features. Android Messages falls into that group as it adds the option to mark a message read from the notification shade and customization for contact notifications has been completely reorganized to take advantage of Android O's Notification Channels. A teardown also reveals that Android Messages is going to join the ranks of semi-intelligent chat apps that offers suggestions based on context.

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61

Android Messages v2.2 cleans up the setup for solo and group messaging, allows adding new people to conversations [APK Download]

Cody Toombs Cody Toombs
Android Messages v2.2 cleans up the setup for solo and group messaging, allows adding new people to conversations [APK Download]

Not all updates have to introduce a big feature to make a big difference. The latest version of Android Messages demonstrates just that. It includes a couple of relatively small changes to the way group messaging is set up and should be a little faster for most people, and might remove some confusion for a few.

The screen for creating a new conversation in earlier versions was geared in favor of group chats. To be more specific, tapping on a contact would put them into a list of recipients and allowed users to keep adding more people until the user pressed a button to finalize the list and begin typing messages.

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241

Even With Allo And Duo, Hangouts Will Remain As A Separate App In Google's Ecosystem

Phil Oakley Phil Oakley
Even With Allo And Duo, Hangouts Will Remain As A Separate App In Google's Ecosystem

Today at I/O 2016, Google announced two new messaging and communication apps: Allo, a messaging app which hooks into your phone number, and Duo, a video calling app. You might assume that means Hangouts would be quietly canned (or as quietly as possible, anyway), right? Not so.

Google has confirmed to Android Police that the company will continue to invest in Hangouts and it will remain a separate product. In a way, this does make sense: as Allo requires a phone number, it might be aimed as a WhatsApp competitor, while Hangouts remains as a Facebook Messenger competitor. On the other hand, would it not be better to have one singular product focused on messaging?

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226
Standalone Google Messenger App Now On The Play Store, Hangouts Hopes Google Still Asks It To The SMS Winter Ball

Standalone Google Messenger App Now On The Play Store, Hangouts Hopes Google Still Asks It To The SMS Winter Ball

David Ruddock David Ruddock

A new Google app that allows you to text your friends? Wait, is this replacing Hangouts? Wait, why? Yes, no, and because, to answer those queries, respectively. Google Messenger is now out on the Play Store, having been officially confirmed to exist by Google last month.

Messages
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Messages
Developer: Google LLC
Price: Free

This new app is the stock SMS/MMS handler in Android 5.0, but also can be downloaded to other devices with SMS/MMS capabilities, provided they run Android 4.1 or higher.

So, what's special about Messenger? Honestly, as texting apps go, not a lot. You can share pictures and videos from the chat dialog, search your contacts and conversations, block SMSs if you need to, send audio messages, color messaging threads, and send emoji, of course.

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