Although it looks nice and follows Google's new Material Design style, it adds nothing that you can't already do in Hangouts or Messaging. Messenger by Google is not a viable alternative to either Hangouts or the stock Android Messaging app. Also, there's no way to add chat background wallpapers, like you can with other messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Viber. You're stuck with whatever Messenger decides to give you for each chat. The bright colors used for headers and text bubbles in chat windows are randomized between chats, and unfortunately there's no way to customize the colors. If you're a fan of this new style, you'll be happy with the way Google Messenger looks. The bold, colorful Material Design user interface fits with the new branding introduced to Google apps after the Android Lollipop update. The app integrates well with your existing Android contacts, allowing you to quickly access them and start messaging straight away through Messenger's attractive, streamlined interface. Lesser features such as the ability to archive chats, or to block certain contacts from sending you messages help to add to the usefulness of Google Messenger. What the app does do well is to pull these tools together in an attractive package that makes the process of sending SMS and MMS messages simpler and more enjoyable.

In fact, the app has even less features than its previous Android Messaging app. So, in this sense, Google isn't doing anything new with its Messenger app. These features, of course, almost always come as standard in any messaging app, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype, or Facebook Messenger. The app has been given a lick of Material Design paint and bundled with some useful features such as group messaging, audio messaging, emoji support, and photo/video transfer. Google Messenger is a re-imagining of the stock Messaging app that's pre-installed with most pre-Lollipop Android phones.

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