These 4 Android apps fix everything Google Messages got wrong

Published Oct 4, 2026, 6:30 AM EDT Aggy is a veteran writer and editor in the technology and gaming space. Having served as a Managing Editor for high-traffic digital publications, alongside being an editor and consultant for over a dozen sites. Aggy's published work spans a wide and respected array of tech and gaming outlets, including WePC, Screen Rant, How-To Geek, Android Police, PC Invasion, and Try Hard Guides. Beyond editorial work, Aggy's direct experience in the tech sphere extends to app development. Aggy has published two games under Tales and is always eager to learn and do more. He also likes working on computers and researching in his spare time. He knows about Windows, Linux, Audio, Video, and much more. Google Messages works fine until you start wanting more from it. It feels so outdated because it's plain and basic. I guess that's good because you don't need to learn a bunch of different settings and features. Still, plenty of apps can add great features to Google Messages. You can set up custom notifications for each person Textra SMS is one of the best replacements for Google Messages, even with all the features. You get over 180 color themes, app icon tint options, and a bunch of different bubble shapes and styles. Font size has 21 options. You can switch between light, dark, pure black, or auto night mode. You can even change how emojis look with Android, Apple, X, or JoyPixels styles, and you can pick skin tones too. This is what I was hoping for from Google Messages when I switched over, but instead I got the really boring defaults. You can also set up custom notifications for each contact. Each person gets their own ringtone, vibration pattern, notification icon, and LED color, so you know who's texting without even pulling out your phone. For some reason, this got harder to do over time. I remember it being really easy to set up custom notifications in the early 2010s. There's really no excuse for how much more complicated it has gotten. There's a floating reply window that pops up over whatever you're doing, so you can read and respond without leaving your app. You can schedule messages for any time or date. And if you tend to send texts you immediately regret, there's a delay feature that holds your message for 1 to 10 seconds before it sends, so you have a chance to cancel it. Google Messages also has a floating bubbles feature, but it made my phone super hot when I used it. I didn't notice that with Textra. Textra SMS In-app purchases Yes, one-time upgrade to remove ads Chromebook support No Txtra swaps Google Messages look for a custom one the user puts in. Free trial 14-day ad-free trial Ads Yes, in the free version BuzzKill gives you way more control over notifications Your phone doesn't have to buzz for every single text Credit: Buzzkill Google Messages gives you RCS features on Android, but its notification options are pretty limited. BuzzKill Notification Manager works inside Android's notification system. It grabs incoming notifications, checks them against rules you set up, and changes how your phone alerts you before it ever buzzes. So you keep Google Messages as your main texting app with all its encryption and RCS support intact, but you get a lot more say over how and when notifications actually bother you. It has a cooldown rule that every messaging app should have. It cuts down on notifications when someone's firing off texts back to back. Normally your phone buzzes or rings for every single message. With BuzzKill, the first one comes through as usual, but any follow-ups from the same person within a set window, say thirty seconds, get silenced automatically. You can also set up custom alerts that tie specific ringtones or vibration patterns to certain contacts or keywords. So if a message has the word "urgent" in it or comes from your mom, BuzzKill plays that sound or uses a different vibration, and you know what kind of message it is without even looking at your screen. If a message sits unread too long, BuzzKill can fire off an automatic reply letting the sender know you're not around. If you miss a notification, it can nudge you again at set intervals until you actually open or dismiss it. And if you accidentally swipe a notification away, a small button pops up so you can bring it right back. BuzzKill Chromebook support No App Publisher Sam Ruston BuzzKill lets your set your own rules for notifications. Phone Link puts your texts right on your computer You can reply without ever picking up your phone Google Messages is fine for texting on Android, but having to grab your phone every five seconds while you're working on a computer gets old fast. Microsoft Phone Link lets you put your phone's text conversations right on your desktop. It only syncs SMS and MMS, but my RCS chats still show up. I just can't reply in RCS. You can read and reply with a real keyboard and mouse instead of pecking at a phone screen, which is honestly just easier. New messages show up in the Windows notification area, so you can read them, dismiss them, or shoot back a quick reply without leaving your keyboard. You can also see photos people send you, plus whatever's in your phone's camera roll, and copy or drag them into other apps. This is actually how I move images to my computer easily, and the resolution is normally amazing. The catch is Phone Link only works on Windows PCs. Mac or Chromebook, you're out of luck. Most Android phones can connect by downloading the companion app and scanning a QR code, but it's smoother on Samsung Galaxy devices and certain other phones with Link to Windows built in. I use the Windows 10 version most of the time, and it still works fine for me. Microsoft Phone Link In-app purchases No App Publisher Microsoft Phone Link puts your Android texts on your Windows PC. Fossify Messages is the best pick if you care about privacy The app doesn't even ask for internet access Fossify Messages is the best pick for Android users who care about privacy. It has no ads, trackers, or bloat people hate. It's completely free and open source under GPLv3, and the community keeps it going. It started as a fork of Simple SMS Messenger after the original dev, Simple Mobile Tools, got bought out and started adding ads and tracking. A group of open-source contributors stepped in to keep the privacy-focused version going under the Fossify name. The app doesn't even request internet permission. Your messages, contacts, and usage data never leave your phone. It literally can't send anything to a remote server because it can't connect to one. It has a Material Design interface that fits right in with Android, customizable accent colors, and a dark mode that's easy on the battery. You can back up your full message history and blocked numbers list right to your device. It's on both the Google Play Store and F-Droid. Just remember that this privacy comes at a cost, and whether it's worth it depends on what you want from a texting app. It's pretty bare-bones compared to other apps. If you want a stripped-down app that just sends and receives texts without any fuss, that's exactly what this is, and it's still better than Google's basic Messages. Fossify Messages App Publisher Fossify Free trial No An open-source texting app with no ads or trackers. There are plenty of apps to choose from These apps cover many different things, and that's on purpose. It wouldn't be a good list if I only recommended the same kind of app. So if one isn't your style, try a different one and see what you like.