Help Using Hangouts rather than stock message app

[dynomot]

OK, OK when you've quite stopped laughing. Even root users like me get confused!

I've made "Hangouts" my default messaging app rather than Samsung's own baked in one, and joined the Google world even more. I'm liking it, but I have a problem. I sent my better half a text message using it, it came through as a hangout. Then I sent her a normal Samsung SMS and the reply from her said yes her normal (she's using a Galaxy S3) text messaging app (she's using the normal Samsung app as default, it picked it up. Her reply came to me - naturally through Hangouts. However now I can't send her a Hangout message, in the conversion, it will only let me send an SMS, can't I interchange between the two in the same conversation? Here's a screen shot with my wife's number "redacted".



My phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (SM-N9005 - international Qualcomm version), just in case it is important.

 

[lunatic59]

I moved this over to Android Applications because it about Hangouts ... which, after all, in an application.

Well, no, you can't. I have the same setup with the Mrs. She uses "messages" on her S3 and I use hangouts on my N6. If I send her something in hangouts, she gets confused. I stick to standard SMS and MMS. It's best not to confuse the Mrs.

 

[Unforgiven]

I've switched to Google's third messaging option, so not Stock Messaging App, not Hangouts, but Messenger. Works great so far. I'm not sure why they have three.

 

[dynomot]

Thanks lunatic59, yes it is an app unless your Nexus, then it's the stock option isn't it? Your right with the "Missus" BTW, mine is just discovering the joys of things smartphone and Android wise. It is hard not to go "meh" when she finds something out for herself, this would be cruel, as I remember my joy at finding something new, and I still do it Best not to confuse the better half, (In Yoda's voice, as if talking about the Dark Side) "Confusion leads to annoyance, annoyance leads to resentment, resement leads to suffering....." (usually yours).

 

[codesplice]

I'm not 100% sure of what you're asking, so please forgive me if this is way off...

In the scenario depicted in your screenshot, you *should* be able to tap the bottom-left (where it says "SMS") to switch between SMS and Hangouts. Is that not working for some reason?

I'm also using Hangouts as my only messaging client, both for SMS and Google Talk Hangouts messages (as well as Google Voice SMS messages).

 

[lunatic59]

I think what he's saying is that when the Wife uses hangouts and then uses messaging, it's two separate conversations to him rather than a consolidated thread. Yes? No?

 

[nicka3200]

I think what he's saying is that when the Wife uses hangouts and then uses messaging, it's two separate conversations to him rather than a consolidated thread. Yes? No?

If that's the case he needs to go into settings within hangouts and select merge conversations. It's at the bottom of the sms sub menu.

 

[bonerp]

I know what you mean as had same problem but also issues sending group sms messages. Gave up and use chomp now. No issues.

 

[Benny Lava]

I used Hangouts, then Google Messenger and finally settled on Textra and never looked back. It's lightweight, has an attractive interface that you can customize and pretty much does anything you could ever ask for from an SMS/MMS app. And it's 100% free. Definitely work a look.