Meta’s Messenger app will no longer handle your SMS

It's time to switch to another app for SMS.

Meta has decided to end SMS support on its popular messaging app for Android users. (Express image)

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Meta has announced that starting from September 28, 2023, Messenger will no longer support SMS. This means that Android users will not be able to choose it as their default SMS app.

One of the unique features of Android is that it allows users to switch their default messaging app, which is usually Google Messages, to another one. Messenger added the ability to receive SMS and MMS messages in 2016, offering a dual experience where users could chat with their Facebook friends and also send and receive text messages. The SMS threads were distinguished by a purple colour, while the regular online chats were blue.

However, this functionality will be discontinued next month, according to a new support page for the platform.

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Your Android device comes with a messaging app pre-installed, so when this change takes effect, your phone should automatically set that app as the default service for SMS. If you don’t have one, then you’ll need to download another app such as Google Messages, Truecaller, or Signal.

The decision by Meta to end SMS support reflects the declining consumer interest in SMS as a communication mode. In India, where spam texts are rampant, using SMS is already a hassle, which likely discourages users from using it even more.

Despite this, Google continues to promote its RCS standard as a replacement for SMS and MMS. RCS is a protocol that provides enhanced features over SMS and MMS such as support for typing indicators. Google is working to make RCS more widely available and compatible across different devices and carriers.