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[Majora]

Whatsapp is definitely quicker to send and receive messages in my experience. I feel like there are random delays when I use iMessage. Only small delays but enough to feel like I'm not having as smooth a conversation with someone compared to Whatsapp.

Also Whatsapp has a web client so I can message people on my PC at work which is a big plus. It's moot which one I prefer anyway really though, Whatsapp is utterly ubiquitous in the UK. I only know one person who uses iMessage.

 

[sca2511]

Any Google Allo users in here?

wave

 

[MarkMclovin]

Buys a completely different phone that all friends and family uses and then complains about a different message app.

What did you expect?

 

[Nightbird]

I would like to just post that watsapp has 1 billion daily active users. Theres a reason for that.

They all got paid of course 💁🏾

 

[Saya]

For a while now, people actually have been saying "whats your whatsapp?" instead of asking for your number. It's huge.

 

[Alexander DeLarge]

I still don't understand why people use proprietary services like this when Whatsapp and Google Hangouts are comparable and platform neutral. Doesn't it suck having to use SMS if your friends don't have an iPhone/iPad/Mac computer?

But iMessage can talk to 100% of the population whereas WhatsApp can only talk to those that download and create an account.

Hangouts can do the same, including instant messaging/voice/video chat between Linux/Windows/Mac/iOS/Android/Windows Phone/any modern web browsers too.

 

[Goodlife]

Love the weekly "OMG, can't believe USA doesn't use WhatsApp" thread.

And, I've got to be honest, it still surprises me.
WhatsApp is huge here (UK)

 

[sleverfunk]

I used to work on a telecommunication company.
Iphone users don't even know what imessage is.
Most people use fb messenger and viber. Whatsapp is not very popular here.

 

[RedShift]

iMessage works virtually seamlessly with SMS.

It's like people dont understand this.

Unless you want to do a group chat, send photos/videos/location/gifs, send messages longer than 140 characters or whatever, contact people abroad, etc etc etc etc

I.e. everything people use messaging services for?

For real, people thinking iMessage is good is blowing my mind.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Unless you want to do a group chat, send photos/videos/location/gifs, send messages longer than 140 characters or whatever, contact people abroad, etc etc etc etc

I.e. everything people use messaging services for?

For real, people thinking iMessage is good is blowing my mind.

Not entirely true. I have a group chat with my parents who are android owners and I have an iPhone and we send photos and all kinds of stuff.

They are aware of Facebook messenger and apps like that, but still end up text messaging when they need to talk to my brother and I.

Honestly though, I’d bet most iMessage users don’t get that it’s imessage, they just think they’re texting like they have for years.

 

[Mafro]

Americans: "People use WhatsApp?!"

 

[Haunted]

Buys a completely different phone that all friends and family uses and then complains about a different message app.

What did you expect?

That a modern app in 2017 is fucking cross-platform?

I don't think it's an outlandish expectation to have if you're used to the freedom of Android compared to Apple's walled garden.

 

[Fox_Mulder]

imessage is the GOAT

Apple should make it available also on android

 

[SgtCobra]

Using iMessage is not compelling outside of the US if pretty much everyone around you has WhatsApp.

The reason Whatsapp is really big in other countries is because android has a higher number of users. Their handsets cover a range of price points vs iPhones that are really only top end unless you count their older phones.

Not everyone in other countries can afford to buy an iPhone. Whatsapp solves a lot of the problems because it puts iOS and android devices on an even playing field. It has a number of useful features, the only disappointing thing is it's really slow to update.

When I hear of people saying Whatsapp is ugly, i feel like they are really missing the point of the whole app. Yeah it's not as slick as iMessage or even Line, it's supposed to make it easy to chat between iOS and android users and in groups. I don't see why people in the US have to dismiss it so quickly.

The Netherlands for example is full of people with iPhones, I'd even say it's more popular that Android devices, yet almost everyone over here uses WhatsApp.
WhatsApp ain't ugly either, but that's my opinion, iMessage looks quite bland and lifeless in comparison.

I have moved to Seoul and I find that Kaokao or Line, which is the Japanese equivalent, is far superior. You can do shopping, payments, coupons, stickers and animations on that thing. Whatapp is quite simple in comparison.

Am I glad I only use WhatsApp to message people

 

[bananas]

WhatApp is popular outside of America because, unlike in America, most country's telecom companies never introduced unlimited texting plans. So naturally, a third party messaging services became popular because it didn't cost money. WhatApp was like the first big one.

 

[Mr. Badger]

WhatApp is popular outside of America because, unlike in America, most country's telecom companies never introduced unlimited texting plans. So naturally, a third party messaging services became popular because it didn't cost money. WhatApp was like the first big one.

Unlimited texting has been the norm in the UK since forever..

 

[Certinty]

WhatApp is popular outside of America because, unlike in America, most country's telecom companies never introduced unlimited texting plans. So naturally, a third party messaging services became popular because it didn't cost money. WhatApp was like the first big one.

Heck no. In the UK everyone on a pay monthly plan pretty much has unlimited texting yet everyone also uses Whatsapp. It's hard to find someone with a smartphone who doesn't have Whatsapp here.

 

[linkboy]

imessage is the GOAT

Apple should make it available also on android

The biggest reason it works so well on iOS is due to Apple controlling everything. It can't work like that on Android due to OS being as open as it is.

iMessage works as well as it does due to it being default messaging application and it being on every iPhone.

The only way it could work is if Apple could get everyone to install it on their Android phones and that's just not going to happen.

 

[Captain Skeleton]

Heck no. In the UK everyone on a pay monthly plan pretty much has unlimited texting yet everyone also uses Whatsapp. It's hard to find someone with a smartphone who doesn't have Whatsapp here.

Because you can send photos and gifs and it doesn't cost you.

 

[Charles Brandon]

Heck no. In the UK everyone on a pay monthly plan pretty much has unlimited texting yet everyone also uses Whatsapp. It's hard to find someone with a smartphone who doesn't have Whatsapp here.

Unlimited texting has been the norm in the UK since forever..

er...unlimited texting has not been around for ever, more like a few years and was not common when WhatsApp first launched. Also unlimited texting does not generally include MMS.

 

[Massive Nights]

Unlimited texting has been the norm in the UK since forever..

Heck no. In the UK everyone on a pay monthly plan pretty much has unlimited texting yet everyone also uses Whatsapp. It's hard to find someone with a smartphone who doesn't have Whatsapp here.

The one big difference being US plans generally have unlimited MMS bundled in too, I don't think I've ever seen a UK plan with unlimited MMS, in fact I haven't seen a plan with inclusive MMS in years.

 

[snacknuts]

Any Google Allo users in here?

I have gotten a few people to use it with me now that there is a web app for it. I wasn't really interested before then. It's a really nice platform.

what is googles facetime competitor?

Duo, which is objectively better than FaceTime.

imessage is the GOAT

Apple should make it available also on android

This is never going to happen. There are a LOT of people who stick with the iPhone solely because of iMessage and Apple knows it. I don't understand it, but it's true.

 

[RedShift]

The biggest reason it works so well on iOS is due to Apple controlling everything. It can't work like that on Android due to OS being as open as it is.

iMessage works as well as it does due to it being default messaging application and it being on every iPhone.

The only way it could work is if Apple could get everyone to install it on their Android phones and that's just not going to happen.

That's pretty much exactly what's happened with WhatsApp everywhere else in the world.

 

[Dreadnought]

Wow, Imessage users are so cool....

Whatsapp users: Stupid Americans why can’t you be like Europe?
iMessage users: *makes a joke*
Whatsapp users: *incoherent screeching*

 

[TheGrizz]

This is never going to happen. There are a LOT of people who stick with the iPhone solely because of iMessage and Apple knows it. I don't understand it, but it's true.

Yep, this is what keeps me bouncing back and forth from iOS to Android then eventually back to iOS. iMessage and FaceTime become such a huge part of your every day life. That and it feels like you're letting your iPhone friends down by becoming a green chat bubble. Hell, even Apple brought that up during last year's conference, about being a green bubble and how it's so bad.

UGH, I want to love Android but Apple makes it hard to leave!! Like that clingy girlfriend who just can't let go. So damn annoying.

 

[karmaforgotme]

When are other people going to

I used to work on a telecommunication company.
Iphone users don't even know what imessage is.
Most people use fb messenger and viber. Whatsapp is not very popular here.

What? 99% of every iPhone user I know knows what iMessage is, especially the teenagers. I think some of them just want an iPhone so they can have that blue bubble in the group chat.

imessage is the GOAT

Apple should make it available also on android

I considered a Pixel, but iMessage, my app library, and my AppleTVs are some of the reasons I didn't consider it for long.

 

[snacknuts]

That and it feels like you're letting your iPhone friends down by becoming a green chat bubble.

I will never be able to wrap my head around this thought process.

 

[-COOLIO-]

The weirdest thing about this to me is that people use platform-locked apps. I'm a die-hard android user, but if my phones came with any communication app that was locked to android, I'd be hunting down a platform-agnostic replacement asap.

Pretty much.

 

[RedShift]

I will never be able to wrap my head around this thought process.

It's genuinely scary. Consumerism is fucked up.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Not in the US my ass. Not with your social group more than likely. Plenty of people use WhatsApp for group convos. Particularly latinos and others who moved here.

 

[tiredheadcrab]

It seems the reason the USA uses the standard messaging apps compared to Europe is because the carriers offered better messaging plans to begin with. Unlimited SMS and MMS have been around for a while and is typically included on all plans from all major carriers.

Also doesnt Europe have different carriers per country? That would make SMS more difficult between countries as well.

I use imessage with Apple users and sms but its seamless because Apple knows if the person you are texting is using an iphone. I also use Whatsapp for my friend in South America as well. Id have no problem switching if Whatsapp became the norm. But its not soooo yeah.

In the end its just a matter of different business practices affecting users.

 

[karmaforgotme]

Not in the US my ass. Not with your social group more than likely. Plenty of people use WhatsApp for group convos. Particularly latinos and others who moved here.

It is because WhatsApp is great for international messaging. That said majority of US phone users do not use WhatsApp. I used it when my son Galapagos Islands for a couple of weeks, and deleted it as soon as he got back. I would love to see the % of iPhone users in the US that use iMessage vs. WhatsApp for day to day group conversations.

 

[TheGrizz]

I will never be able to wrap my head around this thought process.

You see, in America we value brands. It's horrible but we get caught up in this type of consumerism and marketing techniques. I have had friends who have given me such a hard time when I switched to Android that I felt compelled to switch back to iOS.

Also, my Mom doesn't use a cell phone, she just has an iPod so the easiest way for us to communicate is via iMessage. Sure we could use FB Messenger, but that app is a battery suck on Android so it's no ideal. It's also not idea to tell my almost 70 year old mom to download a new chat app. She's not tech savvy at all.

 

[ReplacementPelican]

Switched to an s8+ after not being impressed by the newest Apple stuff, so figured why not try out android for a year.

But as much as I've enjoyed my short time with this phone, the lack of imessage is a complete killer.

Because there is no way I'm convincing my entire immediate and extended family to download a separate app just to send me funny gifs and videos.

They love me but not that much.

How did you other long term iPhone people adapt?

In the UK nobody with iPhones ever iMessages me.

Everyone and their grandparents use whatsapp in the UK. Shame it isn't the same for America.

It seems the reason the USA uses the standard messaging apps compared to Europe is because the carriers offered better messaging plans to begin with. Unlimited SMS and MMS have been around for a while and is typically included on all plans from all major carriers.

Where did you get this impression from? Its the same in the UK. I think most people I know and most plans I see offer unlimited messaging and calls. its just that people prefer WhatsApp.

 

[karmaforgotme]

You see, in America we value brands. It's horrible but we get caught up in this type of consumerism and marketing techniques. I have had friends who have given me such a hard time when I switched to Android that I felt compelled to switch back to iOS..

That is part of the reason, but the real reason why we value the blue bubble is that several of the iMessage features don't work across platforms. Also things like video sent are more compressed when sending from green bubble to blue bubble.

 

[tiredheadcrab]

In the UK nobody with iPhones ever iMessages me.

Everyone and their grandparents use whatsapp in the UK. Shame it isn't the same for America.


Where did you get this impression from? Its the same in the UK. I think most people I know and most plans I see offer unlimited messaging and calls. its just that people prefer WhatsApp.

According to users above Unlimited messaging, especially MMS was not unlimited until recently in the UK. SMS and MMS are bundled here in the USA.

 

[linkboy]

Where did you get this impression from? Its the same in the UK. I think most people I know and most plans I see offer unlimited messaging and calls. its just that people prefer WhatsApp.

Was it like that in 2010 and 2011, which was when Whatsapp started to gain traction.

I honestly don't know, as I'm not in the UK. However, if plans didn't offer unlimited sms around that time, it makes sense that an app like whatsapp would benefit from being in the right place at the right time.

It's similar with an app like Kakaotalk in Korea, which is the dominant messaging app there.

 

[Charles Brandon]

Nah, unlimited texts have only been common for about three years or so IME. Although very large text bundles were common before that.

Some people use pay as you go still though.

 

[EBreda]

I only use WhatsApp despite owning both an Android and an iPhone. Actually, that's probably why I use a platform agnostic app.

There's not a single feature I miss from iMessage.

Edit:

I use Allo with my close family to keep my 8 yo daughter away from iMessage and WhatsApp since there's so much inappropriate material circulating. No one else I know uses Allo, so that's a bonus.

Duo is objectively better than FaceTime. I use that too.

 

[thechristoph]

Here's another blow against Whatsapp. International texting has recently become free with AT&T unlimited. I don't know about the other US carriers, but that pretty much kills any reason to use anything other than the default option.

Kind of annoyed that there's still "platform specific" misinformation about iMessage. If you text someone with an iPhone and you have a data connection, it rides the iMessage service to the the other iPhone. If it's not an iPhone or if your data connection fails, then it's a regular SMS. There's nothing platform specific in that other than getting a blue chat bubble when iMessage connects.

 

[-COOLIO-]

Here's another blow against Whatsapp. International texting has recently become free with AT&T unlimited. I don't know about the other US carriers, but that pretty much kills any reason to use anything other than the default option.

Kind of annoyed that there's still "platform specific" misinformation about iMessage. If you text someone with an iPhone and you have a data connection, it rides the iMessage service to the the other iPhone. If it's not an iPhone or if your data connection fails, then it's a regular SMS. There's nothing platform specific in that other than getting a blue chat bubble when iMessage connects.

that's totally platform specific, you can't use imessage to send messages using the internet to anything but other iphones. and internet messaging is far better than sms. if everyone used whats app or messenger, then people wouldn't be tethered to iphones. i for one, am grateful that all of my friends that are using both android phones and iphones use whatsapp and fb messnger.

 

[BLAUcopter]

I wish all the big messaging services were like Slack.

Slack is amazing.

This. We use slack at work and it's amazing.

 

[AstroNut325]

I don’t get the hate towards iMessage. It's completely seamless, has all the features of the other messaging apps, and it has great integration within Apple products. I can text my friends and family from my Apple Watch using just my voice. Can't do that with any other messaging app.

Oh and the Mac client is great.

 

[snacknuts]

You see, in America we value brands. It's horrible but we get caught up in this type of consumerism and marketing techniques. I have had friends who have given me such a hard time when I switched to Android that I felt compelled to switch back to iOS.

I'm an American and I have never felt compelled to switch to a device I wouldn't otherwise use because I show up as a green bubble in group messages.

I don't get the hate towards iMessage. It's completely seamless, has all the features of the other messaging apps, and it has great integration within Apple products. I can text my friends and family from my Apple Watch using just my voice. Can't do that with any other messaging app.

Oh and the Mac client is great.

Because you can't use it without specific hardware.

 

[-COOLIO-]

I wish all the big messaging services were like Slack.

Slack is amazing.

this is the true answer, a big chunk of my close friends use slack.

I don't get the hate towards iMessage. It's completely seamless, has all the features of the other messaging apps, and it has great integration within Apple products. I can text my friends and family from my Apple Watch using just my voice. Can't do that with any other messaging app.

except that the app only exists on iphones. and thus, everyone except other iphone users have to endure SMS messages.

 

[TheGrizz]

I'm an American and I have never felt compelled to switch to a device I wouldn't otherwise use because I show up as a green bubble in group messages.

I have judgy friends, apparently.

 

[Fletcher]

It's such a pain in the ass to get people to use a different messaging service.

 

[Uno Venova]

I have judgy friends, apparently.

Nah your experience is pretty common, at work or class, Android users get a light ribbing since most have iPhones.

Because you can't use it without specific hardware.

That doesn't really explain why it gets 'hate' though. Why would an apple service being only on apple products be a problem.

 

[The Real Napsta]

This is exactly what made me switch back to iOS. Almost all my contacts have iPhones and use iMessage exclusively.

You can just text them though. They'll still get the message.

 

[karmaforgotme]

You can just text them though. They'll still get the message.

If just plain texting was all people used messaging for that would be great.