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Samsung has its own SMS client, Samsung Messages. The fact Android allows custom SMS apps doesn't seem like a bad thing. Apps can send photos via Android Inte

Samsung has its own SMS client, Samsung Messages. The fact Android allows custom SMS apps doesn't seem like a bad thing. Apps can send photos via Android Intent without requiring SMS permissions. If an app requests that permission, the user can say no. I'm not sure how that qualifies as insane.

kerng 8y ago
I have a Galaxy phone and have no idea if it's the basic Android or Samsung app. It just says Messages in the app settings, there is no Samsung Messages app.
- poglet 8y ago
  Samsung Messages is also called 'Messages' and uses and orange and white icon. I went to Menu > Settings > About Messages and no where does it state that it is a Samsung app (but it is).
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - gh02t 8y ago
    Yep, Android (Google) Messages' logo is a white text bubble on blue background. If you have a Samsung phone and didn't explicitly install another SMS app you're probably using the Samsung one. Ditto for the email client (Email), the photo gallery (Gallery), calendar (Calendar) etc. Samsung likes to do their own thing. Edit: occurs to me that they don't have their own Maps app though. I'm honestly a bit surprised they didn't try to make at least their own UI for Google Maps, seems like a Samsung thing to do. I should also add that I don't mind the Samsung apps at all nowadays, but I do kinda wish they would just stick to the Google stuff (and quietly take Bixby out back and shoot it).
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  The default one on Samsung phones that can neither be uninstalled nor disabled is Samsung's. It can be made not-default, and you can turn off all of its permissions, but you can't get rid of it.
  - milkytron 8y ago
    Not without root, that is.
    - zcid 8y ago
      Or on unrooted phones, you can use adb to remove software.
      - milkytron 8y ago
        So you're saying that you could remove all the bloatware that comes with Android phones these days simply with adb? Didn't realize it was that easy.
        zcid 8y ago
        It one of the reasons why it's a security issue to leave usb debugging enabled all the time. adb has almost unlimited access to your device when it is. But, yeah, i think you just type 'adb uninstall <package name>'. I can't remember exactly since it's been a while.
  - ddalex 8y ago
    But you can get to the app permissions and revoke all permissions, rendering the app incapable to run
thirdsun 8y ago
> The fact Android allows custom SMS apps doesn't seem like a bad thing. Only if it's clearly distinguishable. Call me old fashioned but I'd like to know if my messages are handled by a core Google-developed android app or by some third party like Samsung, which clearly demonstrate that it shouldn't have that kind of access.
- jwandborg 8y ago
  Samsung is not a third party on a phone and OS developed by Samsung, it's more of an OEM.
  - thirdsun 8y ago
    Fair point. Let me rephrase it - I consider Samsung's OS itself an unnecessary third party on a phone that should be running official Android. Then again, I prefer iOS since I explicitely don't want to deal with the half-baked mess of an OS developed by incompetent OEMs.
    - nolok 8y ago
      I don't understand your issue. If you want to use the normal sms app on a Samsung phone you're free to do. And Samsung doesn't hide that it isn't it, it actually makes it super obvious (because they want people to wish for Samsung, not for Android, see Tizen)
- nolok 8y ago
  It its something of concern for you, its impossible to find it hard to know if your messaging app is by Google or not. Additionally, a Samsung sms app is really not third party on a Samsung phone. And lastly, the biggest concern about this on android is usually "how to get out of Google control" so being able to replace a core app like this by any that you prefer be it Google, Samsung or a special privacy oriented one is hardly something I can consider a disadvantage.

kerng 8y ago

I have a Galaxy phone and have no idea if it's the basic Android or Samsung app. It just says Messages in the app settings, there is no Samsung Messages app.

poglet 8y ago
Samsung Messages is also called 'Messages' and uses and orange and white icon. I went to Menu > Settings > About Messages and no where does it state that it is a Samsung app (but it is).
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- gh02t 8y ago
  Yep, Android (Google) Messages' logo is a white text bubble on blue background. If you have a Samsung phone and didn't explicitly install another SMS app you're probably using the Samsung one. Ditto for the email client (Email), the photo gallery (Gallery), calendar (Calendar) etc. Samsung likes to do their own thing. Edit: occurs to me that they don't have their own Maps app though. I'm honestly a bit surprised they didn't try to make at least their own UI for Google Maps, seems like a Samsung thing to do. I should also add that I don't mind the Samsung apps at all nowadays, but I do kinda wish they would just stick to the Google stuff (and quietly take Bixby out back and shoot it).
dragonwriter 8y ago
The default one on Samsung phones that can neither be uninstalled nor disabled is Samsung's. It can be made not-default, and you can turn off all of its permissions, but you can't get rid of it.
- milkytron 8y ago
  Not without root, that is.
  - zcid 8y ago
    Or on unrooted phones, you can use adb to remove software.
    - milkytron 8y ago
      So you're saying that you could remove all the bloatware that comes with Android phones these days simply with adb? Didn't realize it was that easy.
      - zcid 8y ago
        It one of the reasons why it's a security issue to leave usb debugging enabled all the time. adb has almost unlimited access to your device when it is. But, yeah, i think you just type 'adb uninstall <package name>'. I can't remember exactly since it's been a while.
- ddalex 8y ago
  But you can get to the app permissions and revoke all permissions, rendering the app incapable to run

thirdsun 8y ago

> The fact Android allows custom SMS apps doesn't seem like a bad thing. Only if it's clearly distinguishable. Call me old fashioned but I'd like to know if my messages are handled by a core Google-developed android app or by some third party like Samsung, which clearly demonstrate that it shouldn't have that kind of access.

jwandborg 8y ago
Samsung is not a third party on a phone and OS developed by Samsung, it's more of an OEM.
- thirdsun 8y ago
  Fair point. Let me rephrase it - I consider Samsung's OS itself an unnecessary third party on a phone that should be running official Android. Then again, I prefer iOS since I explicitely don't want to deal with the half-baked mess of an OS developed by incompetent OEMs.
  - nolok 8y ago
    I don't understand your issue. If you want to use the normal sms app on a Samsung phone you're free to do. And Samsung doesn't hide that it isn't it, it actually makes it super obvious (because they want people to wish for Samsung, not for Android, see Tizen)
nolok 8y ago
It its something of concern for you, its impossible to find it hard to know if your messaging app is by Google or not. Additionally, a Samsung sms app is really not third party on a Samsung phone. And lastly, the biggest concern about this on android is usually "how to get out of Google control" so being able to replace a core app like this by any that you prefer be it Google, Samsung or a special privacy oriented one is hardly something I can consider a disadvantage.