By 
Google’s “Update Wednesday” is in full effect and after introducing some new features and a dark theme to the Google News & Weather app, the Big G has also delivered a small update to their newly released Messenger app. Where once the SMS replacement would set it’s own color theme for individual contacts (1.0.123), the new update (1.0.130) now allows you to select your own colors for contacts.
While it’s not terribly groundbreaking, it is a feature I know many were asking for since the app was introduced in the Play Store last month. The update is still rolling out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting, you can install the newly updated apk here.
Now only if I could have Lollipop on my google play edition phones!!
Santa, all I want for christmas is Lollipop, is that too much to ask?
Lol. That’s awesome though. I have lp on my g3 thanks to cm12. 5.0.1
Now if they could finally add a private setting so your text messages can’t be read from your notification bar.
They do on lollipop… You goto settings and then click on sounds and notification theb click when device is locked
That doesn’t work. I thought I stumbled on the setting that did it. That setting stops it from showing on the screen notification part, however when you slide down it’s still there. I just want it to show their pic and say text but not the message.
It works quite well if you set a PIN, password, etc..
Yeah, I think there’s a lot of nifty features they’re leaving, possibly on purpose. Google’s not trying to replace the thousands of awesome SMS apps available in the Play Store, just the lame ones that come preinstalled on your phone. :P
Wow! Paranoid?
Paranoid because I don’t want everyone who picks up my phone to read my private messages? Especially my kids.
Then keep it with you, in your pocket, or nearby, or password protected.
Don’t want to lock my phone and unlock it for everything. Even phone calls, taking pics. Ummm…no
The point of being able to read them when you pull down the notification bar is to make it easier than getting a notification and physically opening the messaging app to read it. Some people might consider that a good thing, not a bad thing. What kind of messages do you get that your kids cant read ? You know they make tons of secret messaging apps if you want to hide porn from your kids…
I know what the purpose is. However that has nothing to do with having options. It can be a good thing if you want it to, or a bad thing. Who said anything about porn? You’re putting your personal business out. We discuss things that are not for kids I also don’t want anyone who picks up my phone to read my conversion. You must work for the government. I also receive bank info by text.
You have that functionality natively in Lollipop.
Now all we need is reply popup / reply notification feature like the AOSP SMS/MMS app
We need notification reminders!
Can we say “signatures” please?
Is this Lollipop stock related? Because if I try to add a new number from the Messenger app, the only way I can add the number is as a new contact, there’s NO way to add the number to an existing contact. Am I missing something?
This is from the stock Messenger on the M8 Google Play Edition. Meh… Oh well… I’m going back to Sense anyways, though I like the layout of that Messenger.
Just had to uninstall mine due to conflicting signatures, and re archive all my conversations, but I got there!
I wish we could change our own message bubble tho.
Edit:
And seems they added a ‘sent message’ sound, idk if I just always ignored it. Regardless I silenced it because it sounds while trying to send instead of when it actually states sent.
Google’s messaging app #27 needs hangouts/gchat integration so it works like iMessage.
Now should i use this or the stock Samsung messaging app..hmmmm. Does this have any advantage over using the Samsung messaging app?
looks better imo, I hate the look of the samsung messaging app
thanks for the info, didn’t know how I let this app pass by
On Nexus 6, the current update (dated Dec. 3) shows version 1.0.123, not 1.0.130. Ain’t no color changin’
just hit play store for me…
i use textra… it is just like messenger but lets you add the privacy back. plus quick reply and color/theme customization.
I’ve used them before and it was good, it just looked a little dated for my taste. I’m back on EvolveSMS which is simply the best IMHO. Privacy mode, tons of themes, colors, and options. Sometimes I have issues with sending pics but it seems to be fixed now on my Nexus 6.
I had issues on my LG G3 for the longest for some reason with AT&T. So not sure if it was an app problem or carrier, but considering my wife has a S5 on AT&T and she had no issues, i’ll go with the app. If you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it, if you have in the past try it now, they have some great material themes.