Google Messages is one of the most installed apps on Google Play, with 12 billion installs. Users love it: 4.6 stars from 50,262,328 ratings. Its best ranking is #20 in Top Free, Communication in United States. Show more ›

Google Messages is made and published by Google LLC. AppBrain is an independent app data site and isn't affiliated with Google LLC. The app name, icon, screenshots and description belong to Google LLC and are shown as published on Google Play.

Pros & Cons

Massive global reach and notable regional rankings
RCS-powered messaging with high-quality media and dynamic groups
Privacy features include end-to-end encryption and advanced spam protection
AI-assisted messaging with Magic Compose and related features
Cross-device syncing, including Wear OS support

RCS availability and feature sets vary by region and carrier
Less emphasis on traditional SMS/MMS experiences in some markets compared to competitors
Extensive permissions are required for full functionality, which may raise privacy considerations

About Google Messages

Google Messages is a communication app developed by Google LLC.

How many times has Google Messages been installed?

Google Messages has been installed 12 billion times. In the last 30 days, the app was installed 180 million times. It is ranked in the top 100 communication apps.

What is the rating of Google Messages?

Google Messages is rated 4.59 out of 5 stars, based on 50 million ratings.

Is Google Messages free?

Google Messages is free. The app size is 117.65 MB. The latest version available is messages.android_20261005_05_RC00.phone_dynamic. The last update was on October 12, 2026.

What are the requirements for Google Messages?

The app has a content rating of Everyone. The app has been available on Google Play since November 2014.

Description by Google LLC (from Google Play)

Google Messages is the official Google app for messaging.

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Screenshots

Screenshots by Google LLC, from the Google Play listing

Official page on Google Play

Alternatives to Google Messages

Google Play Rating history and histogram

41M

4.6M

1.8M

730K

2.6M

Installs over time

Google Messages has been installed 12 billion times. Over the past 30 days, it averaged 5.8 million installs per day.

Changelog of Google Messages

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Developer information for Google LLC

Google LLC

apps-help@google.com

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Comments on Google Messages for Android

★★★★☆ Jason Klomp · Sep 19, 2026

So trying to send messages to phones that don't have RCS isn't automatically sending as SMS text since last update, update toggle RCS off and on same as automatically send SMS settings then restart your phone and back to working

★★★★★ Carolyn Quigley · Sep 19, 2026

Pretty much works as you would expect a text messenger app to work I think. I honestly forgot it wasn't the original texting app my phone came with until it asked me to rate it. I like that I can search my messages, though the search doesn't always work as well as I would like, but still better than the text messenger app that came with my phone.

★★★★☆ Kelley Cook · Sep 19, 2026

[UPDATE] It's fixed. Tapping a URL now goes directly to the default browser. Thank you, Google. ----- Google Messages has decided to become the default browser when you open a website. Links now open in-app, and there's apparently no way to change this. After the page opens, you have to access the three dot menu to open it in your default browser. If I want numerous unnecessary steps to complete a task, I'll buy an iPhone. Which I'm considering, even though I dislike iPhones.

★★☆☆☆ G s · Sep 30, 2026

I'm continually having an issue off an on with being unable to send photos or photocopies, I'm 100% sure it's not a problem on my end, also don't understand why photocopies creations need to have a limit at all

★☆☆☆☆ Darrin Whaley · Sep 30, 2026

When RCS is on, texts don't come through most of the time. It constantly tells me people I text aren't connected when they are. FIX the basics! There's more data over the world than Wi-Fi, when you go outside it uses data because there's no Wi-Fi everywhere you need to fix it to where it runs on data

★★☆☆☆ Amit Dbritto · Sep 24, 2026

Why is this messaging app getting worse with every update? Firstly, undelivered messages sent via RCS can no longer be switched to SMS mode instantly. Earlier, this was a simple and convenient option. Secondly, in the recent update, it is no longer possible to check the exact time a message was sent. The actual time is hidden and replaced by the SIM card company’s name. Could you please look into these issues and restore these useful features? Thank you.

★☆☆☆☆ E Stanger · Sep 19, 2026

The old message app was better at least if you sent a text an error you could delete it with this app it deletes all your messages from everybody this new message app we have to use since July is a step backwards

Google Play Rankings for Google Messages

Top rankings

Rank	Country	Category	List
20	United States	Communication	Top Free
26	Japan	Communication	Top Free
42	Canada	Communication	Top Free
57	France	Communication	Top Free
32	South Korea	Communication	Top Free
40	Mexico	Communication	Top Free
87	Germany	Communication	Top Free
50	Czech Republic	Communication	Top Free
61	Australia	Communication	Top Free
63	Poland	Communication	Top Free

Show all market rankings

Ranking history in United States

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Technologies used by Google Messages

83 permissions · 37 libraries

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