Google’s grip on Android just got a lot harder to ignore.
Its default messaging app, Google Messages, surpassed 10 billion downloads on the Play Store this week, doubling its reach in just over two and a half years. At the same time, the Phone by Google app crossed 5 billion downloads, cementing its role as the go-to dialer across Android devices.
That growth has been driven in part by Samsung shifting Galaxy users to Google Messages and Verizon making it a near-default option for its customers. With new features rolling out and billions of RCS messages sent daily, Google’s communication apps are becoming increasingly central to the Android experience.
Unhappy about Phone updates
Meanwhile, a recent Phone by Google update has triggered negative user feedback in response to a new, contentious automatic call-screening feature that directs unknown numbers to voicemail. Some users have complained about missing calls.
For example, earlier this month, one user wrote that “the app now moves all calls from numbers not in your contact list immediately to voicemail. What a terrible idea.’’
The user went on to say that “The prior version had call screening, which allowed me to determine whether I wanted to screen a call or not. I have missed important calls from health care providers because the phone never rings when a specific person inside a business calls.”
The user characterized this as “absolutely ridiculous and overreaching,’’ and called it “a bad idea framed to appear ‘advanced.’” The user urged that, if possible, people avoid downloading this update.
Google replied that the message would be passed along to the team for review.
New Phone features, Android security issues
Pixel devices are mainly receiving new features, but all phones feature calling cards and the Material 3 Expressive redesign.
In January, Google fixed a rotation issue in the Phone app with a “keep portrait mode” option in the display settings. Users reported that their Phone app sometimes rotated mid-conversation, splitting the UI into two separate views and creating a jarring experience.
Features aside, Google issued a dire security warning in February about older Android devices.
Other apps with 10b downloads
Google shares the distinction of more than 10 billion downloads with some of its other apps and several other first-party apps.
They include: the Google (Search) app, YouTube, Google Photos, Google Chrome, Gmail, Gboard, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Meet, Google TV, Android Auto, Speech Recognition & Synthesis, Android Accessibility Suite, and Android Switch.
Other apps with 5 billion downloads include: Files by Google, Google Calendar, YouTube Music, Contacts, Google Play Games, Google Assistant, Digital Wellbeing, and Carrier Services.
For more on Google’s expanding AI influence, check out how the company is now rewriting headlines in Search results.
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