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 turn into the de facto application for texting on Android. Even Samsung — a person of the largest stalwarts when it comes to employing proprietary applications for factors — features Messages as the default application on some of its phones. Nevertheless, as all-encompassing as the app is, a person matter that is lacking is a Google Messages Home windows app.

“Now, maintain on a dang moment,” I can hear you say. “I textual content from my Windows Computer system all the time employing the internet application at messages.google.com.” I’m confident you do, pricey reader, but that is not a Home windows application and is critically anemic compared to what a genuine Home windows application could be.

Truthfully, the deficiency of a bonafide application on my Computer system drives me crazy, and I’ll clarify why. Initial, though, permit me inform you about an application that employed to be exactly what I needed.

Android Messages Desktop by Chris Knepper

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

Developer Chris Knepper worked around this difficulty by building a cross-platform application for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is referred to as Android Messages Desktop. Essentially, the app creates a website wrapper that embeds the Messages world-wide-web app. But Knepper took things a phase further more by making a entire notification system integrated with the functioning program. He even went so considerably as to involve a program tray icon for the Google Messages Home windows version.

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The challenge — as you might have guessed from the identify of Knepper’s app — is that the developer has not current this application considering the fact that 2019. Due to the fact then, it is come to be incompatible with Windows 11 and very likely has a lot of other troubles on other functioning units.

When it did function, even though, it was ideal. You could quickly established it up so that it commenced minimized to the process tray when Windows boots. Notifications would come as a result of the exact same as any other Windows app — no open up browser required. The system tray and taskbar icons experienced notification badges you could look at at any time, and you even now experienced all the settings and attributes of the common website application, together with prosperous communication providers (RCS) guidance.

Android Messages Desktop was a single of my most critical Home windows apps for yrs. Now that it doesn’t function, however, I can not obtain an adequate substitution.

Plenty of workarounds, but none are excellent

When I realized Knepper’s application wasn’t likely to perform for me anymore, I started hunting for a little something that could copy the expertise. I uncovered that there are a ton of means to textual content by way of Messages on your Personal computer, even devoid of a bonafide Google Messages Home windows app. Here are the remedies I discovered and why they do not evaluate to Knepper’s.

• Messages for Website: I by now described the major limitation of this, but I’ll repeat it again in this article for posterity. In purchase for this website application to do the job, it demands to be open up in a browser tab. Even if you put in the progressive website application (PWA), you simply cannot near the window or you will miss out on notifications. There is also no system tray icon or notification badge on the taskbar icon.
• Cell phone Url: Microsoft’s app that lets you use your phone from your Computer system will work rather properly. It is compatible with a ton of various phones and integrates with Google Messages. Having said that, its largest challenge is a substantial 1: It does not assist RCS. Devoid of RCS help, Phone Hyperlink is ineffective to me. Irrespective, there is no technique tray icon, possibly (at the very least none that launches the application and tells you if you have messages).
• Android Messages Desktop (Knepper): No for a longer period operates at all with Windows 11 (and quite possibly other functioning methods). When you established up the app, it never ever connects with Google’s servers, giving you a blank white display screen.
• Google Messages for Desktop: This is however an additional world-wide-web wrapper method created by an indie developer. It looks like it was as soon as awesome, but it hasn’t noticed an update considering that early 2021. When you attempt to put in the most recent model today, you get a warning that it makes use of an previous establish of Nativefier and is a really serious security possibility.

Finally, there is Android Messages Desktop by OrangeDrangon. This is a immediate port of Knepper’s application but is extra up-to-date. It is almost great, with no web browser essential, a process tray with a notification badge, and fairly a great deal all other features of the Knepper application. Nonetheless, it is uncertified, which helps make it a major security possibility. Home windows will alert you of this when you check out to install it. It also has some high-quality-of-everyday living challenges, these kinds of as blurry images. On the other hand, for now, this is the very best thing out there and what I am utilizing in the interim.

A Google Messages Windows application should really occur from the resource

Irrespective of how nicely Knepper’s app did function (or even how effectively OrangeDrangon’s app could perform in the potential), there is no disregarding the elephant in the home: this application should appear from Google. The corporation understands that people today want to use Messages on their PCs, which is why the world wide web portal exists. Nonetheless, Google is currently being lazy and keeping it a PWA. This is probably so it doesn’t require to trouble creating and maintaining the app for all the big working systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, and so forth.).

Offered that Apple iphone customers get to use iMessage via macOS as effortlessly as pie, it helps make no perception for Google to dismiss this. Microsoft’s Telephone Website link is a good begin, but Google can’t just go away it to Microsoft. This is specifically real when Microsoft thinks not supporting RCS is in some way good.

As it stands now, a large swathe of Android buyers also have Home windows computers. We want a thoroughly-showcased application that will allow us to use Google Messages in Windows as quickly as Iphone users can do on macOS. Google simply cannot do all the work trying to make Messages as very good as iMessage although disregarding this elementary problem.

What’s worse is that a person developer named Chris Knepper was in a position to do it all by himself. Clearly, Google can do it, as well. It just requires to really do it.