Our readers use Google Messages more than any other texting app

Google Messages Rcs Chat Dark Mode (Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)

What you need to know

We asked our readers what they use as their primary texting app.
Of 6300 responses, about 50% voted for Google Messages.
WhatsApp was in second place with 16% of votes, while many expressed that they prefer Textra.

Texting is a big part of how we communicate, which is why it's important to have a messaging app that works for you and the people that you're texting. This is why getting RCS on iMessage has been such a big deal lately. While iMessage and Google Messages are used primarily in the U.S., it would increase interoperability between two of the biggest OSes and their respective texting apps.

And to further the point, we asked what our readers prefer to use as their primary texting app, and out of a whipping 6300 votes, about 50% were for Google Messages. WhatsApp was unsurprisingly the second most popular, although trailing behind with 16% of votes.

Texting App Poll Responses — Source: Android Central (Image credit: Source: Android Central)

A lot of comments threw around other texting apps such as Textra, which seemed to be a popular option among the best text messaging apps, despite its lack of RCS support. And while many comments indicated which single app they preferred, one reader, Ry, notes how which app they use depends on who they're talking to:

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It depends on who I'm texting with -- my messaging has become segmented.In general, for SMS/MMS/RCS is on Google Messages if I'm on Android (and on iPhone, I'll use their default Messages/iMessage app).But--I have groups (mostly work) on Slack. I have groups on Discord. I have groups on Telegram. I have groups on WhatsApp. I have groups on Facebook Messenger.

Another reader also notes how much of a mess it can be when juggling between messaging apps:

I got 2/3 of friends and family to switch from SMS to Whatsapp 10 years ago. Then, tired of waiting for true multi device support I got about 1/2 of that batch to switch to Telegram recently. So now it's SMS, Whatsapp, Telegram.

A complete mess.I got 2/3 of friends and family to switch from SMS to Whatsapp 10 years ago. Then, tired of waiting for true multi device support I got about 1/2 of that batch to switch to Telegram recently. So now it's SMS, Whatsapp, Telegram.

A complete mess.— Booth (@jjb70) January 19, 2022 January 19, 2022

That also highlights a downfall with apps like Signal and WhatsApp. While they offer great features and make it easy to message friends and family in other countries, they require that the person you're texting uses the same app.

That said, until we can all agree on what we want, it looks like we'll be juggling messaging apps for some time.

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.