The messaging experience on Android has always been inferior to that of iPhones. Worse, conversations with iPhone users are always a challenge since iMessage is exclusively available on Apple's own platform. Google is looking to address some of these pain points by rolling out several new features to its Messages app for Android.

Below is a look at all the new features coming to Google Messages for Android to make your conversations even better.

1. iPhone User Reactions as Emojis

person sending an iMessage on their iPhone

Messages by Google relies on RCS for group chats and conversations—a standard that Apple has refused to adopt despite its various benefits. This makes sharing images, message reactions, etc., difficult between the two platforms—for example, message reactions from iPhone users do not show up properly on Android.

Google is addressing this with the Messages update by automatically displaying reactions from iMessage users as emojis on Android. The feature will be first available in English, with support for more languages in the pipeline.

2. Share Videos Using Google Photos

Sharing videos with your iPhone friends is an issue due to the lack of RCS support—they are sent as MMS, which notably reduces their quality. To work around this, Messages will now allow you to share high-quality videos as a Google Photos link. The picker is built right into the app, making the entire process seamless and quick.

In its announcement on The Keyword blog, Google once again encourages "Apple to join the rest of the mobile industry and adopt RCS so that we can make messaging better and more secure, no matter what device you choose."

3. Manage the Clutter Automatically

Messages by Google will now automatically sort the chats in your inbox into Personal and Business categories to keep it organized. This will help you quickly find the right message or conversation you are looking for in a hurry.

Additionally, in the US, Messages will automatically delete One Time Password (OTP) messages after 24 hours to reduce clutter—the feature was so far only available for Android users in India.

4. Birthday Reminders

Google Messages is making it easier to wish friends and family on their birthday and ensure you don't forget their special day. If you have saved their birthdays in your contact book, Messages will remind you to send them a message when you open the app.

A Better Messaging Experience

Google can't force Apple to adopt RCS for iMessage to deliver a better messaging experience for both iPhone and Android users. However, with these improvements to the Messages app, Google is looking to fix some of the drawbacks to ensure users get a better chatting experience.