Verizon will shut down Message Plus in November

Verizon Message Plus is being disabled. The messaging platform is being phased out because it can’t provide the “best way to send messages.”

What is Verizon Plus Message?

As the name suggests, Verizon owns, supports and operates the Verizon Message Plus app. Officially, the app is called Verizon Messages. However, for unknown reasons, several users call the messaging app Verizon Message Plus. It does everything other popular messaging platforms can do.

According to The life of a droidVerizon Messages has been around for at least 8 years. Needless to say, it takes a long time for a messaging app to survive, especially when it competes with platforms like Apple’s iMessage, Google Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram, and other popular messaging platforms.

According to the Verizon Message Plus listing on Google Play, the app has over 100 million downloads. Some reports suggest that this proves the popularity of Verizon Messages. However, it’s possible that Verizon pre-installs the app on devices or bundles it with plans sold by the company.

Verizon may send important messages or alerts on its communications platform. This will prevent users from uninstalling the app and switching to popular alternatives.

When will Verizon shut down its messaging app?

Verizon has updated the support page for Verizon Messages. The page includes detailed answers to frequently asked questions and mentions that the company will be retiring the app on November 11, 2024.

Verizon didn’t give a specific reason for shutting down the messaging app. If there are supposedly over 100 million Android users using the app, that number alone should prompt the company to justify its decision.

Verizon mentioned that it decided to shut down Verizon Message Plus because it wants users to have the “best messaging experience,” and the app is likely unable to deliver that. However, the company has hinted at why it is shutting down the messaging app.

Verizon stated that it will “recognize RCS as the future of messaging on both Android and iOS, and Message+ simply cannot compete there.” This suggests that Verizon Messages may not support RCS, a backend messaging path that even Apple recently adopted. Whatever the reason, if someone uses Verizon Message+, it would be wise to switch to Google Messages on their Android device before the app disappears from the Google Play Store.