22
votes
Why does Google have nine messaging services?
A sentence from this article on Ars Technica about the new Android Messages web interface really jumped out at me:
Android Messages started as a simple SMS app, but, with the Web client, it is turning into Google's ninth messaging service after (deep breath) Google Talk, Google Voice, Buzz, Google+ Messenger, Hangouts, Spaces, Allo, and the Slack-like Hangouts Chat.
Nine different chat services from a single company is just wild. How did Google let such an important aspect of the Android platform become such a mess, and what should Google do about it?
My understanding is that Google as an org rewards employees more for innovating new project, there is little love for those working on long lived projects that aren't generating wheelbarrows full of money.
Your list is a little disingenuous since a few of those apps are now defunct such as G+ Messenger, Google Talk, Buzz and Spaces.
this.
KPI oriented innovation.
Given that Google makes all their money on ads, if what you are saying is true it seems you only have two choices with Google: use a service with ads or use a service they let languish once it's released.
There are a few that are tied to Google Apps (aka Enterprise) that are safe as well.
While on this topic, shootout for https://matrix.org/blog/home/ :)
To be fair voice is more for phones - SMS/voicemail than it is a "messaging service", google+ messenger is a way to message people on their social media platform, spaces was meant as a direct competitor to slack (work based messaging), google talk became hangouts and I'm not sure what hangouts chat is.
It's a bit unfair to call some of these out as "messaging services". It's pretty clear that they want you to use hangouts on the android platform and it has almost always been this way (albeit a brief foray into trying to rebrand/push allo which was abandoned).
Except it isn't clear with Hangouts because they have allo/duo and took away sms support. Also they have messages which is the default messaging app on stock Android.
Hangouts still bugs me to use it as the default SMS messenger. So maybe it's dependent on the version of android you are using?
To be clear, I wasn't trying to say they've figured it out, just that it's not as confusing as the article is trying to say.
Do you have a Google Voice number? I believe SMS support has ended for Hangouts except for those using Google Voice or Project Fi.
I do. I guess that might be why.
I have a Pixel 2. I just use Messages (googles texter thing)
I'm still not sure what the "default" messaging app is on Android. If I'm trying to text an Android user do I use hangouts or do I SMS them?
Hangouts is much nicer, though. I can't count on all Android users to have Hangouts?
Weird. I didn't realize that Hangouts wasn't an included app on Android phones. So you're saying that in addition to Google having multiple messaging services, none of them are included? You have to pick the one you want and get it from Google Play?
Nope. I, for one, don't have Hangouts on my phone. I signed up for it a few years back, but that was for one particular reason (some online friends from around the world organised a virtual baby shower for one member of our group). However, I've never used it for ordinary day-to-day messaging. Why would I, when SMS is already there, and is universally available to all phone users - Android, iOS, and otherwise?
I really hate this fragmentation of messaging services. Some years ago, a friend insisted I sign up for WhatsApp because that was his preferred messaging service. Someone else insists on messaging me via Facebook Messenger (which means I reply to him 2 days later, when I log on to Facebook - but he won't learn). I don't want to sign up to a thousand different messaging services, and I shouldn't need to.
There's also the benefit that SMS isn't a data-harvesting machine like all those other messaging services are. I may not want Google or Facebook reading everything I type to my friends.
sms most users. unless your friends use hangouts. but that also uses a little data. idk i use messages until i find a private texting app.
Because they're horrible at UX design. They had finally proven it when they failed to connect their services to g+, and failed to make common sense decisions on g+ UI design. Though there were already obvious signs with Google wave.
A lot of luck, experiments, time and money preceded the few successful products they have now.
Google's inflicted this wound on themselves, though. We're not talking about the proliferation of messaging services in general, just Google's. It's within their power to consolidate it down to two or three services with clear and distinct purposes.
I'm just excited they finally introduced web messaging. So much more convenient to type out replies on a physical keyboard. Especially long conversations.