Lack of Google Messages Windows app drives me nuts

Setting up out as Android Messages, Google Messages (which is formally now known as Messages, confusingly) has become the de facto app for texting on Android. Even Samsung — one particular of the most important stalwarts when it arrives to making use of proprietary apps for factors — presents Messages as the default app on some of its phones. Having said that, as all-encompassing as the application is, just one factor that is lacking is a Google Messages Home windows application.

“Now, maintain on a dang moment,” I can hear you say. “I text from my Home windows Personal computer all the time utilizing the web application at messages.google.com.” I’m certain you do, dear reader, but that is not a Windows application and is seriously anemic compared to what a correct Windows application could be.

Honestly, the deficiency of a bonafide application on my Computer drives me crazy, and I’ll describe why. Initial, although, enable me convey to you about an application that utilised to be exactly what I needed.

Android Messages Desktop by Chris Knepper

The most important dilemma with Google’s have web application for Messages is that you have to have to have it open in a browser tab. If it’s not actively open up, you will not get notifications on your Computer system. You will have to have to open your browser any time you want to use it.

Developer Chris Knepper worked around this problem by making a cross-system application for Home windows, macOS, and Linux. It is named Android Messages Desktop. Basically, the application makes a internet wrapper that embeds the Messages world wide web application. But Knepper took points a action even further by building a full notification procedure built-in with the working technique. He even went so considerably as to involve a system tray icon for the Google Messages Windows model.

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The problem — as you may well have guessed from the name of Knepper’s app — is that the developer has not up-to-date this app considering the fact that 2019. Since then, it is turn out to be incompatible with Windows 11 and very likely has a good deal of other issues on other working devices.

When it did perform, however, it was fantastic. You could quickly set it up so that it started out minimized to the process tray when Home windows boots. Notifications would come as a result of the same as any other Windows app — no open browser necessary. The program tray and taskbar icons had notification badges you could look at at any time, and you nevertheless had all the settings and capabilities of the regular net application, including prosperous interaction companies (RCS) aid.

Android Messages Desktop was one of my most critical Home windows apps for years. Now that it doesn’t get the job done, however, I cannot uncover an enough alternative.

Tons of workarounds, but none are excellent

When I recognized Knepper’s application was not heading to do the job for me any more, I commenced searching for anything that could copy the practical experience. I found out that there are a ton of methods to textual content through Messages on your Personal computer, even with no a bonafide Google Messages Windows application. Right here are the options I found and why they do not examine to Knepper’s.

• Messages for Net: I already described the significant limitation of this, but I’ll repeat it once again listed here for posterity. In get for this website application to work, it demands to be open in a browser tab. Even if you install the progressive world-wide-web app (PWA), you can’t shut the window or you will miss notifications. There is also no system tray icon or notification badge on the taskbar icon.
• Cell phone Connection: Microsoft’s app that lets you use your phone from your Computer system works pretty very well. It is suitable with a ton of unique phones and integrates with Google Messages. Nevertheless, its major difficulty is a big just one: It does not guidance RCS. Devoid of RCS assistance, Cellular phone Backlink is useless to me. Regardless, there is no process tray icon, possibly (at least none that launches the app and tells you if you have messages).
• Android Messages Desktop (Knepper): No lengthier performs at all with Home windows 11 (and possibly other functioning techniques). When you set up the application, it never ever connects with Google’s servers, offering you a blank white screen.
• Google Messages for Desktop: This is yet a different world wide web wrapper plan built by an indie developer. It appears like it was the moment amazing, but it hasn’t observed an update given that early 2021. When you endeavor to set up the most up-to-date version right now, you get a warning that it utilizes an old construct of Nativefier and is a really serious security hazard.

Finally, there is Android Messages Desktop by OrangeDrangon. This is a immediate port of Knepper’s application but is additional up-to-date. It is pretty much best, with no world-wide-web browser wanted, a system tray with a notification badge, and fairly a lot all other features of the Knepper application. Nonetheless, it is uncertified, which tends to make it a important safety possibility. Windows will warn you of this when you check out to install it. It also has some high-quality-of-lifestyle challenges, these kinds of as blurry pictures. However, for now, this is the ideal issue out there and what I am utilizing in the interim.

A Google Messages Windows app should occur from the supply

Regardless of how well Knepper’s application did operate (or even how well OrangeDrangon’s app might do the job in the upcoming), there is no disregarding the elephant in the room: this application must appear from Google. The enterprise understands that men and women want to use Messages on their PCs, which is why the world-wide-web portal exists. However, Google is currently being lazy and maintaining it a PWA. This is very likely so it doesn’t require to hassle developing and maintaining the app for all the important running programs (Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, etcetera.).

Supplied that Iphone customers get to use iMessage by macOS as simply as pie, it helps make no perception for Google to overlook this. Microsoft’s Telephone Link is a terrific begin, but Google just can’t just go away it to Microsoft. This is specifically real when Microsoft thinks not supporting RCS is someway good.

As it stands now, a enormous swathe of Android end users also have Windows desktops. We want a totally-showcased software that makes it possible for us to use Google Messages in Home windows as conveniently as Iphone people can do on macOS. Google can not do all the operate seeking to make Messages as fantastic as iMessage although disregarding this basic issue.

What is worse is that 1 developer named Chris Knepper was able to do it all by himself. Clearly, Google can do it, as well. It just desires to really do it.