If you’ve bought your smartphone through Verizon Wireless, then this may be relevant to you. Verizon is getting rid of their text messaging app, and pushing its users to move to another one. If you are getting notices about this on your phone, do not ignore them. You need to do this!
Why is this happening? Texting has improved, thanks to the RCS protocol. And as this new technology is implemented and supported by more and more companies, Verizon had a choice: Develop and upgrade their app to support RCS, or abandon the app and move on. Most other carriers’ cellphones use the iOS Messages or Google Messages apps, already. So it looks like Verizon picked the easier, less expensive option to move forward.
Verizon was warning people to make the switch by November 7, lest they stop receiving texts. But as it turns out, the real (new) deadline is December 9, 2024. If you are still using the Message+ app on your Verizon phone, please make the switch. We can’t count on that deadline to move again, and you probably want your text messages to keep coming through.
The Various Text Messaging Apps
If you aren’t sure what app you use for SMS/texts, start by looking for the icon you use in texting. Verizon Message+ has a red icon with white speech bubbles in it. If this is what you use, then you need to read on and take action!
If you’re on an Apple iPhone, you’ll be moving to Apple’s Messages app. It’s included in the iOS of every Apple device, so no need to download anything. Just look for the green icon with a white speech bubble.
If you’re on an Android (Google) phone, you may or may not need to download the Google Messages app. There are many confusingly similar apps out there, so I will give you this link to the real deal, the one legitimate Google Message app. If you click that, it should open the Google Play Store and allow you to install or open Google Messages.
Switching Your Default SMS App
If you’ve been using the red Verizon message+ app on an Apple phone, it’s very easy to switch. Simply find the green icon for the Apple Messages app and start using it! Feel free to long-press on the Messages icon to move it to your dock or anywhere else convenient. After you’ve used it for a time, and found that it works well, you can go back and remove the Verizon app.
If you’ve been using the red Verizon message+ app on an Android phone, you have a few more taps/steps to convert to Google Messages. After you are sure you have Google Messages installed, you’ll want to open it and tap on the question about Setting the Default SMS App. You must cooperate with this, and choose Google Messages as the default. Then you should see all of your texts in this app, and you may long-press its icon to move it wherever you like. And after you’ve used Google Messages for a while, you may go back and delete the Verizon app from your phone.
Need Extra Help?
If you get stuck or feel like this is above your paygrade, don’t panic! You can visit your nearest Verizon store for hands-on help, and it should only take them a short bit of time to adjust your phone. You may also try calling Verizon Support at 800-922-0204. And you are welcome to call me, too, I have the ability to remotely connect to most phones.