You can tweak the background, the font, the style and color of the bubbles, and just about everything else. But Textra has the most iMessage potential. (It's free with very-occasional ads, or you can pay $2.99 to be rid of them.) There are many good texting apps, like EvolveSMS and Chomp SMS, and even Google's default Messenger is fine. Once you take your shiny new Android device out of its box, download Textra, the most powerful and customizable texting app for Android. Even if you do all this, you'll probably have a confusing day or two of missed texts, but you'll survive. You can also transfer existing messages with an app called iSMS2Droid, if you're an archivist like that. For good measure, go to Apple's site and make sure your phone is out of the Empire's system. It starts before you even switch: Go into settings on your iPhone, tap Messages, and toggle 'iMessage' to off. Let's set about making your transition as easy as possible. Pick anything, really, because anything is better than texting.įorcing your friends to talk somewhere new might be impossible. You could make your phone switching an opportunity to tell friends to hit you up on WhatsApp. The easiest solution, of course, is to stop texting altogether. Sure, you'll appear on friends' iPhones in that hideous green color, but that's their problem, not yours. It's not flawless and it's not easy, but with a little work and a few apps, you can duplicate all the best things about iMessage on an Android phone. And so you may find yourself thinking that even though the Google Pixel is a fantastic phone, you can't make the jump.Īh, but you can. It's the one thing about an iPhone that makes ditching Apple for Android too much to bear. iMessage provides a perfect combination of simple texting and powerful messaging. Friends know you as a blue-bubble buddy, and you look down on anyone who forces you to text in green.

Longtime iPhone users know all about the iMessage Effect.

Download apple imessage on android