Google Mail is the official application to send SMS/MMS and chat for free via the RCS protocol, popularly known as “WhatsApp for operators” and the Android alternative to Apple’s iMessage, already surpassing over a billion downloads in the Play Store.
Taking advantage of the fact that more and more devices come with Google Mail factory let’s see 17 tips and tricks to get the most out of Google Messagesreviewing its best features and settings.
Enable chat features
Most carriers support the RCS protocol, which allows us to turn the Google Messages app into a alternative to WhatsApp and Telegram for chat for free with our contacts who also have this protocol enabled, which is called here chat features.
When Google Mail detects that our operator is compatible with the RCS tries to activate the chat functions automatically, but we can make sure to Settings > Chat Features. If we see that they are not activated, just touch Enable chat features to be able to send free messages via Wi-Fi or data.
If “Text Message” appears in the message box, we will send an SMS. If you put “chat message” it will be a free RCS. It is a good alternative to send free messages to our contacts when other email clients are down.
Set your privacy when chatting
With the chat functions activated, our contacts will be able to see if we have read their messages or if we are writing. Since Settings > Chat Features we can disable the read receipts and the reading prompts.
Configure automatic download
In the chat functions settings we can also configure automatic downloading. By default, it will download received files up to a certain size. in settings Automatically download received files we can select max size or disable for manual download.
Enable spam protection
One of the strengths of the Google Messages app is its spam protection. Google is able to detect and block spam or phishing text messages that attempt to steal our data or money. We can check if said protection is enabled from Settings > Spam Protection. Then in Menu > Spam and blocked we can see what messages we have in the Spam folder.
Block and mark as spam
Sometimes this spam protection is not perfect and they can slip through Spam SMS. Sometimes, as soon as we enter the message, we may receive a notice of possible spam to be able to block it quickly. If we receive spam and the application has not detected it, we must open the conversation and Menu > Details we will find the option Block and mark as spam. This option is also used for block people which bothers us, the only difference is that when blocking you will have to uncheck the spam option.
Enable Verified SMS
To give us more peace of mind, Google launched the Verified SMS, showing the image of the sender with more information to let us know the text message is safe and not from someone impersonating a business. At Settings > Verified SMS We can check if we have enabled this option. The problem is that currently very few companies use verified SMS.
Configure suggestions
By default the suggestions Google messages are enabled, and this is the option that appears quick or smart answers and the suggested actions. If you don’t like these suggestions, you can turn them off from Settings > Suggestions.
schedule delivery
With Google Messages, you can schedule a message to send later. To do this, you just need to write a message and long press send icon. There you will see the schedule window asking you for the day and time. Once the message has been sent, a notice will appear indicating that it is scheduled, by clicking on the clock icon you can edit the message, send it now or delete it so that it is not sent.
Create a reminder
Google Mail It allows you to convert a message into a reminder so that you can notify us again on a certain day and at a certain time. To do this, simply select a conversation or message and click on the alarm clock icon, aka “Add a reminder”. This option will also appear in the notification of received messages.
Highlight important messages
If we receive an important message and we don’t want it to get lost among hundreds of text messages, we can highlight it to make it more accessible. To do this, select a message with a long press and click on the star icon “Highlighted message”. In the menu we will find the section to see all highlighted messages. If we access the highlights of a conversation, we will only see the highlighted messages of said conversation, instead, if we see the highlights of the main view, we will see the highlights of all conversations.
pin conversations
Google Mail It allows pin up to three conversations so that they are always in the top positions, preventing significant contact from going to the bottom. To pin a chat, simply long press and touch the ‘Pin to Start’ pin icon.
file
To clean up the main chat view, we have two options: delete the messages or archive them. To archive a message, just drag it to the side. Then in Menu > Archive we can recover these conversations.
Send SMS from your PC
Google Mail It also allows us to chat and send SMS from our PC or Mac thanks to the option Pairing devices which we will find in your options menu. To do this, you will need to enter https://messages.google.com/web/ from your computer or laptop and read the QR code from your mobile.
Pinch to enlarge chat text
Google Mail allows you to do the pinch gesture to enlarge and reduce the text of messages, but if you don’t like this option and want prevent messages from being resized by mistake you can disable this feature from Settings > Pinch to enlarge chat text.
Enable SMS delivery reports
By default, if we send an SMS, we will not know if it has reached our contact, but Settings > Advanced Settings we can activate the option Get SMS delivery reports. With this option enabled, when sending an SMS, it will put the text “Delivered” at the bottom of the message.
Show iPhone reactions as emoji
Google Messages lets you improve compatibility with iPhone reactionsfor that, just go to Settings > Advanced Settings and activate the option Show iPhone reactions as emoji.
Configure automatic previews
Finally, if you receive text messages with links to websites and you want their previews to be displayed or not, you should go to Settings > Auto Previews and enable/disable the desired options.
Table of Contents
