Key Takeaways

  • The Verizon Messages+ app will stop working after today (December 9, 2024).
  • The carrier previously extended the Message+ app deadline by a month at the last minute.
  • Verizon recommends users switch to Google Messages for a better texting experience.



If you want to enjoy RCS-powered messaging on Android, Google Messages is your only option. Samsung is phasing out its Samsung Messages app in favor of Google’s solution. Even Verizon announced the shutdown of its Messages+ texting app in November before extending the deadline by another month at the last minute. That day has now arrived, with Verizon Message+ completely shutting down by the end of the day (December 9, 2024).

The Google Messages icon with the AP logo against a blue background

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Verizon started discontinuing the Message+ app on October 2, giving users until November 7 to switch to Google Messages. When the day arrived, the carrier quietly updated its support page, extending the deadline until December 9, 2024. After today, you cannot use the Message+ app to send or receive texts. Any message you have scheduled for delivery after December 9, 2024, won’t be sent either.


Verizon’s FAQ page notes that it will run system maintenance before the Message+ shutdown. Due to this, you might see texts with a 588 area code, “which means that your number has “left the group.”

The carrier recommends Android users switch to Google Messages for a “richer experience.” In a separate page, Verizon highlights many benefits of Google’s messaging app, including AI features like custom reaction stickers, Gemini integration, and more. From a privacy viewpoint, it has end-to-end encryption, ensuring no one can snoop in on your conversations.

When you set Google Messages as the default messaging app on your phone, it will automatically transfer your existing Message+ conversations. However, photos and videos only up to 5MB in size will be migrated. Additionally, your enhanced group conversations will not be synced.


Google Messages and RCS are the future of messaging on Android

Closeup of a phone showing RCS chats settings on its screen.


Verizon shutting down its messaging app in favor of Google Messages will help improve everyone’s texting experience. Since 2022, Google Messages has been pre-installed on all Verizon phones. Other major US carriers and device manufacturers have also adopted Google Messages as the default texting app on their devices.

More importantly, with iOS 18, Apple added RCS support to the iPhone’s Messages app, enabling a superior cross-platform messaging experience. RCS texts between Android and iPhone are currently missing end-to-end encryption, but this should change soon.