Samsung Galaxy and iMessage- What are other Alternatives that you can have?
When it comes to smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy series of the phone is a great choice. It is one of the best if not the best phone that uses the Android operating system around. It offers many great features including the large screen, expandable memory, and good speed. There are also plenty of apps that can be used with the Samsung Galaxy that makes it even better.
The chief rival of the Samsung Galaxy is the iPhone. Some people swear by their iPhone while others swear by their Samsung Galaxy. One of the things that people say make the iPhone better is some of the apps that are designed for the iPhone operating system. If people could get some of the apps created for the iPhones on their Samsung Galaxy, they may feel like they have the best of both worlds. One of those features that people may want on their Samsung Galaxy is iMessage.
What is iMessage?
iMessage is an alternative to text messaging. Through this app, the user of the phone can send text messages to others for free as long as they have a data connection. It allows people with limited text messaging through their phone plan to send as many text messages as they want. They look similar to the regular text messages.
The iMessage is an instant messaging service was developed by Apple Inc. It is supported by the Messages application in iOS 5 and later and OS X Mountain Lion and later. On June 13, 2016, Apple announced the addition of Apps to iMessage service, accessible via the Messages apps on iOS and macOS (previously OS X).
iMessage Apps, the Messages App, iMessage Service, Messages framework and App Store for iMessage are available in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra onwards. App publishers can create and share content, add stickers, make payments, and more, within conversations without having to switch to apps.
iMessage Apps can be created as standalone iMessage apps or can exist as an extension to existing iOS apps. According to technology analyst, David Garrity, as of 2017 there are 63 quadrillion iMessages sent annually, which equates to over 200,000 per second.
Getting iMessage on the Samsung Galaxy
It is possible to use iMessage on a Samsung Galaxy. There are a few steps that you need to do. Just follow the below steps
- Find the iMessage Chat on the Android Store or Google Play Store
- Download the App to your Samsung Galaxy
- Install the app
- Start using iMessage
It is that simple to get iMessage on the Samsung Galaxy, but it is also something to be careful about. The first thing that people may notice is the app from the Android Store is not made by Apple. It is created by a third party. The app requires the user to enter their Apple user name and password. That user name and password is also used to buy anything from the Apple Store. It is not a good idea to provide this information to third parties.
The app also does not go through Apple like the iMessage texts sent from the iPhone and other Apple devices do. Instead, they are going through servers that are based in China. The app that is downloaded to the Samsung Galaxy also has the capability of downloading code silently onto devices. This could allow malware to be placed on the Samsung Galaxy.
Because the security of the iMessage app for Android devices is not what people should expect when they put apps on their phone, it may not be the best idea to download this app to the Samsung Galaxy. The number of security issues with the app could put the user of the Galaxy at risk. There are plenty of other apps that allow the user to send texts that do not seem as dangerous as this one is. If a person is willing to take the risk they can put the iMessage app on their Samsung Galaxy.
Alternatives to iMessage for Samsung
There are loads of great alternatives to iMessage for Samsung, including dedicated apps like WhatsApp and Viber, offerings from technological giants Google and Facebook, and Samsung’s very own software ChatOn. This means you can message your friends and loved ones for free no matter what device you use. Here below are some of the well-known alternatives you can use
Samsung’s Chat on has all the main features of iMessage and connects to all of your devices to the app, and you can group message, and send pictures and videos. You also can send animations and voice messages.
WhatsApp– Whatsapp is the most popular one used for free messaging and will work across any form of internet connection (even 2G), allowing you to easily send messages, photos, videos, and voice calls through the service.
Telegram–Telegram works a lot like WhatsApp but it offers a more extensive supply of stickers and original emojis. Also, you can share files easily. As well as that, it’s extra secure, and you can set up group chats with up to 5,000 members.
Facebook Messenger– Another common alternative is Facebook Messenger. You can use it much like texting, setting up group chats, or sharing links, photos and videos. Free calls are an option, as well as voice messaging.
Skype-Skype is best known for providing a simple and inexpensive way to communicate via video and voice calls anywhere in the world. It also gives you an easy way to message via text too. Through the service, you can quickly share photos and files, as well as participate in group chats of up to 300 people
Viber-With over 754 million users worldwide, this app offers an easy to use interface that provides phone and video calls, as well as group messaging.
BBM–BBM is still around and this is the app you’ll need to chat with Blackberry, iPhone or any of smartphone friends. It also works for anyone else who wants to set up a BBM PIN, allowing them to easily message others. Its key feature is the ability to retract messages and photos before they’ve been read,
GroupMe-GroupMe makes it simple to add anyone to a group via their phone number or email address. Plenty of exclusive emojis are available with the option to import memes and GIFs into the app to express yourself. Videos and links can also be easily shared in this colorful messaging app.
Google Hangouts-Google Hangouts is one of Google’s solutions for providing somewhere for you to message your friends. Group chat works for up to 150 people with a multitude of emojis and stickers available. Group video calling is also available, all courtesy of your Google account.
Kik–Kik is a simple and effective messaging service. You simply pick a username and start chatting. Through the service, you can share all kinds of media, including photos, videos, and GIFs. It’s also possible to make new friends through the service, as well as participate in group chats.
Google Allo–Google Allo learns quickly as how you reply to texts and photos, responding to them for you without you needing to type a single word. As well as that, you can change the font size to demonstrate if you’re whispering or shouting, plus there are tons of stickers available to use. Google Assistant support is also included.
Android Messages– Earlier known as Google Messenger, Android Messages makes it easy to communicate with anyone by using SMS, MMS, and more. Stay in touch with friends and family, send group texts, and share your favorite pictures, videos, audio messages.
Google Voice– Google Voice gives you a free phone number for calling, text messaging, and voicemail. It works on smartphones and computers and syncs across your devices so you can use the app while on the go or at home.
Signal– Using Signal, you can communicate instantly while avoiding SMS fees, create groups so that you can chat in real-time with all your friends at once, and share media or attachments all with complete privacy. The server never has access to any of your communication and never stores any of your data.
Wire–Wire is a secure and private messenger for phones, tablets, and desktop. Crystal clear voice and video calls, private group chats, file sharing, audio, and video messages – everything is end-to-end encrypted. Wire works on Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, Linux and any modern web browser.
We message: This app is very similar to the iMessage and it is also completely free. All its tools and settings are the same as the Apple iMessage app. It comes loaded with all the iMessage features. It provides all messaging features like group chats attachments and even more. It uses a special encryption standard for security which is AES cryptography.
Both Google and Facebook offer their alternatives to iMessage WhatsApp as said above and Facebook Messenger app is still a simple option. Google Hangouts are great for video chats especially as a group and like Skype you also have the option to instant message.
There are various other alternatives to iMessage like Trillion App; Conversations App; Yahoo Messenger; Xabber; Samsung Flow; PushBullet and few others.
A new app known as Samsung SideSync is also available at play store with which you can conveniently share the screen and data between your PC and mobile device. Receive alarms of your phone through PC and use various features of your phone on the computer. You can make Phone Calls and Send Text Messages too. You need to have a smartphone with Android KitKat(4.4) or higher and Tablet: Android Lollipop(5.0) or higher. Also, SideSync may not work in some device models and is not available for the Galaxy S9 and S9+