For years now, Apple has had one of the best text messaging platforms in smartphones. Its iMessage message platform allows users to communicate across their different Apple devices. Android users have been left in the dark in these SMS advancements only being able to access their Android messenger on their phones.
Finally Google
Google is finally closer to giving Android users the ability to effortlessly receive and respond to texts on their computers. Their Android messenger app was found to have the groundwork for these features coded into the app already.
Pros and Cons
As an Android user, I have been envious of my friends with iPhones and Apple computers being able to access their messaging app flawlessly between their devices. By having important text messages display on your computer screen, you can access a new level of work efficiently not having to jump back and forth between screens. Sure the messages can be a distraction. I’ve seen in college students “taking notes” on their laptops but are gossiping to their BFF. I have my reasons for not switching my brand loyalty. I don’t need to get into that now.
3rd Party Solutions
To try to achieve the same level of control over my messaging I have tried a few different 3rd party apps like AirDroid and Pushbullet that mirror my notifications and text messages into their app on my computer running Windows or into a Google Chrome extension. While they do the job okay, they have their flaws because they are not flawlessly connected to my Android’s messaging.
Why now?
Honestly, it surprises me that Google hasn’t developed this multi-device messaging capability yet as Apple has had it for years. I’ve previously talked about how competition between big technology companies allows for bigger and better innovative growth, but I think Google is just a bit behind in the multi-device messaging race. When 3rd party companies pick up the competitive slack between big companies, know that they could be doing better. They should take the hint and develop their own solution to the problem someone else is fixing. Competition – that’s how technology progresses.
