BY VIEWCAST    UPDATED September 29, 2025

The "Messages" app has been widely appreciated for its straightforward approach to communication, offering users the convenience of sending texts directly to phone numbers without navigating through contacts or suggestions. Its user-friendly interface facilitates easy messaging, marking it as an essential tool for everyday communication.
One common request among users is the ability to recover messages that were accidentally deleted. Incorporating a feature that allows for message retrieval could significantly enhance user satisfaction and utility, making the app even more indispensable in daily communication.
Another area for improvement highlighted by users is the management of group chats. The ability to delete a group chat or to disconnect from an unwanted group would provide users with greater control over their messaging environment, contributing to a more personalized and clutter-free experience.
Although the app’s design is generally praised, users express a desire for more customization options, such as the ability to disable the feature that halves the screen when pulling down on the main message list. Such personalization could enhance usability and comfort, catering to diverse user preferences.
Implementing a dark mode is another frequently requested feature. A dark mode would offer an alternative to the app's light interface, reducing eye strain in low light conditions and ensuring a comfortable messaging experience at any time of the day.
The addition of message reactions has been acknowledged as a significant improvement, especially for users with older devices. This feature allows for more dynamic and expressive communication, bringing the "Messages" app in line with current messaging trends.
Despite its excellent foundation, incorporating these enhancements could make the "Messages" app more versatile and personalized. By addressing users' feedback, the app can further solidify its position as a go-to messaging platform that caters to the evolving needs of its user base.
Currently, there is no built-in feature to recover deleted messages, but user feedback suggests that this functionality would be a valuable addition to the app.
As of now, users cannot directly delete or disconnect from group chats within the app, an enhancement in this area is highly anticipated.
The app does not currently offer a dark mode, though this is a feature many users hope to see in future updates.
No option exists to disable the half-screen drop-down, but user feedback indicates a demand for more customization options, including this feature.
Messages is primarily a mobile app designed for smartphones. However, you can run Messages on your computer using an Android emulator. An Android emulator allows you to run Android apps on your PC. Here's how to install Messages on your PC using Android emuator:
Visit any Android emulator website. Download the latest version of Android emulator compatible with your operating system (Windows or macOS). Install Android emulator by following the on-screen instructions.
Launch Android emulator and complete the initial setup, including signing in with your Google account.
Inside Android emulator, open the Google Play Store (it's like the Android Play Store) and search for "Messages."Click on the Messages app, and then click the "Install" button to download and install Messages.
You can also download the APK from this page and install Messages without Google Play Store.
You can now use Messages on your PC within the Anroid emulator. Keep in mind that it will look and feel like the mobile app, so you'll navigate using a mouse and keyboard.

