# What does it mean that “Message +will be shutting down effective 11/7/24”? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2024, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508 "2024-10-06T17:47:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/1 "2024-10-06T17:47:19Z")
I just found this message on my phone. I don’t know (or care) that I am a “message+” user (if I really am) nor what it means to use one message system and not another. But it’s possible that this is some sort of scam, I suppose, so I’m asking if anyone else has gotten a similar message recently. Why do these assholes assume that people know or care about this stuff, what their message system is called or who runs it or how it runs? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/2 "2024-10-06T17:51:57Z")
Googling > Verizon is shutting down its Verizon Messages (Message+) App, and users must switch to another app to continue sending and receiving messages. > > Message+ (also referred to as Verizon Messages in Google Play) was created by Verizon to sync texts across multiple devices. It also had extra features like the ability to send a gift card or your location to a friend. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/3 "2024-10-06T17:53:15Z")
It seems Message+ is a Verizon messaging (SMS) application, which will stop working next month. If you’re using an Android phone, this article recommends switching to Google Messages and provides some instructions: [Verizon Message+ Is Shutting Down: Here's What That Means For Android Users](https://www.slashgear.com/1679747/verizon-message-plus-shutting-down/#:~:text=The%20app%2C%20which%20also%20went,FAQ%20page%20for%20Verizon%20Messages). ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/4 "2024-10-06T18:16:45Z")
Hoping a tech-adept Doper will clue me in: does this matter for a Verizon iPhone user hoping to keep messages synced with an iPad? ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/5 "2024-10-06T18:18:51Z")
Glad to have it confirmed that the message was legit. I’ll follow their stupid instructions now. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Deanna\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Deanna\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deanna_D)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/6 "2024-10-06T18:19:10Z")
I hate this change. Very much. Google’s message app that Verizon recommends is kinda quirky, and much less customizable than Message+. I’ll probably end up switching to something else if Google continues to suck. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/7 "2024-10-06T19:03:12Z")
I’m on Android-- MotoEdge 2023. I use Textra as my messaging app. Highly recommend. > > > Textra is a seriously beautiful, super-fast, feature rich SMS and MMS ap... ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/8 "2024-10-06T19:25:08Z")
Hm, my messaging app is just called Messages; the logo is three blue dots inside a white dialog balloon inside a blue background. I’ve never thought about it, I suppose it’s a Samsung app since it has come by default on all my Samsung phones. I don’t think I can remove it. I wonder if it will even allow me to stop using it in favor of another app. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/9 "2024-10-06T19:32:54Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I wonder if it will even allow me to stop using it in favor of another app. I have a Samsung Galaxy and I can indeed (and do) use Google messages. It should be in your list of apps, but if it isn’t, you can download it. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/10 "2024-10-06T20:21:13Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I have a Samsung Galaxy and I can indeed (and do) use Google messages. As do I. I use Google messages because it can be integrated into my Chrome browser on my laptop. It’s a LOT easier to type messages on my computer than my Galaxy S22 phone. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/11 "2024-10-06T20:28:22Z")
I’m an iPhone user, not Android, but it sounds like the big thing with Message+ is the ability “to sync texts across multiple devices.” If the phone is the only device on which you read texts, that may not matter to you. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/12 "2024-10-06T20:28:57Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I use Google messages because it can be integrated into my Chrome browser on my laptop. How is this done? Eta: never mind, I googled the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/13 "2024-10-06T20:36:59Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > the ability “to sync texts across multiple devices.” A number of Android messaging apps can do this, including Google messages. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/14 "2024-10-07T00:27:25Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Hoping a tech-adept Doper will clue me in: does this matter for a Verizon iPhone user hoping to keep messages synced with an iPad? Don’t you use Apple’s own messages app? With the infamous blue bubbles and such? If so, it won’t matter. Message+ is Verizon’s own crappy app ([‎Message+ on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/message/id621469412))… if you didn’t use that, this won’t affect you. Apple does their own thing. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/15 "2024-10-07T05:29:46Z")
I just switched to Google Messages. I’m not much of a texter, so I don’t care, but my Message+ couldn’t block messages I didn’t want, so the new one is better. I’ve seen some spam that I think was blocked before, but not a ton. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/16 "2024-10-07T05:36:10Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Don’t you use Apple’s own messages app? With the infamous blue bubbles and such? If so, it won’t matter. > [@Reply](#): > > if you didn’t use that, this won’t affect you Thank you, this is what I needed to know. Yes, I use the ‘blue bubble’ Apple messages. Mostly it was that I don’t trust Verizon farther than I can throw a tractor tire. I appreciate your kindness in sorting it out for me. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/17 "2024-10-07T12:46:56Z")
Is the Google message app more secure? I switched a week or so ago when I first got the warning about Message+ going away. It looks like in the Google app there is a little lock symbol on the Send button. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/18 "2024-10-07T14:52:51Z")
I don’t know about that lock symbol, but I have been using Google message with my current phone for almost three years and noticed that it catches almost all scam messages and flags them as such, so in this regard it’s quite secure. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/19 "2024-10-07T15:42:43Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Is the Google message app more secure? It kinda depends. When you see the lock symbol, that means that particular convo is encrypted: [https://screenrant.com/lock-symbol-android-google-text-messages-rcs-encryption/](https://screenrant.com/lock-symbol-android-google-text-messages-rcs-encryption/) But the thing about Google Messages is that it combines both traditional texting (“SMS”, which is entirely unecrypted) and a newer protocol called “RCS”, [which is sometimes encrypted](https://support.google.com/messages/thread/229405182/your-rcs-conversations-are-now-fully-end-to-end-encrypted?hl=en)… but not always). It’s tricky because the same app handles many different situations, and it’s hard to tell which is which: - If you’re texting someone with a phone that doesn’t support RCS, it’s not encrypted - If you’re texting an Apple user with RCS, it’s also not encrypted - If you’re texting someone who uses another company’s RCS implementation/messaging app, it may or may not be encrypted - If a person switches to a different phone, new messages to them may or may not be encrypted - It’s not always easy to tell which is which unless you constantly look for the lock symbol every time you text someone So is it more secure? Sometimes, but not always, and it’s really hard to tell when it is and when it isn’t. If this is really a worry for you, you should probably use an app designed for secure comms (like Signal). If you’re just texting for day-to-day use and aren’t a Bond villain, you’re fine. I’ve been using it for years and never had an issue, as have all the other Pixel owners I know. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508/20 "2024-10-07T15:51:21Z")
It’s not really an issue for me, I had just noticed the “RCS message” (rather than SMS) and the lock symbol and was wondering what that was about. Most of my texting is with my wife, who has the same kind of phone (Samsung Galaxy) and switched to the same message app. If I texted with my brother or sister, who both have iPhones, it sounds like I might see something different. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-that-message-will-be-shutting-down-effective-11-7-24/1008508.md?page=2)