Why Is Message + Shutting Down? | Save Your Texts

If Message+ stopped working, the problem usually isn’t your phone, your number, or your Verizon plan. Verizon retired the app, so the old Message+ setup can no longer be treated as your main texting home.

The good news: your regular SMS and MMS texts should still live on your device if they were stored locally. The task now is to pick the right replacement app, set it as your default, check RCS, and save anything you don’t want to lose before deleting old app files.

Why Message+ Is Shutting Down For Verizon Users

Message+ was built for a time when carriers often made their own texting apps. That made sense when phones, tablets, web texting, and carrier extras didn’t work together as cleanly as they do now. Texting has moved toward RCS, which gives regular text threads more app-like features without needing a separate carrier app.

Verizon now points Android users to Google Messages and iPhone or iPad users to Apple Messages. On its Verizon Message+ notice, Verizon says Message+ was discontinued in December 2024 and names those two apps as the replacement choices.

That shift cuts down on confusion. Instead of Verizon maintaining a separate texting app, the phone’s built-in messaging setup can handle SMS, MMS, and RCS in one place. It also means new phone buyers don’t have to learn a Verizon-only app that may not follow them cleanly across brands.

What Changed After The Shutdown

The shutdown mainly affects the app, not your phone number. People can still text you at the same number, but Message+ itself should not be used as the place to send or receive texts.

• Android users should set Google Messages as the default SMS app.
• iPhone and iPad users should use Apple Messages.
• Local SMS and MMS threads should remain on the phone if they were stored there.
• Message+ cloud-style sync features are no longer the right place to depend on old texts.
• Any text history you care about should be backed up before you erase old app data.

What RCS Has To Do With It

RCS is the texting upgrade behind much of this change. In Google Messages, RCS can send messages over Wi-Fi or mobile data, show typing indicators, show read receipts, and handle richer media when both sides have RCS turned on. Google explains the setup in its RCS chats in Google Messages page.

For iPhone users, Apple Messages can send iMessage, SMS, MMS, and RCS based on the phone, carrier, and contact. Apple says RCS on iPhone needs iOS 18 and a cellular plan with RCS. Its RCS messaging on iPhone page lists the setting path and what RCS adds.

This is why the shutdown feels bigger than a normal app retirement. Verizon is not just swapping one app logo for another. It is moving users away from a carrier-only texting layer and into the messaging apps that Android and iPhone already treat as standard.

Area	What Changed	What To Do Now
Default texting app	Message+ is no longer the right app for daily texts.	Set Google Messages or Apple Messages as your default.
SMS and MMS history	Locally stored texts should remain on the device.	Open the replacement app and check old threads before deleting anything.
RCS chats	RCS features now run through Google Messages or Apple Messages.	Turn on RCS in settings and wait for number verification.
Group texting	Group threads may behave differently during the app change.	Send a fresh message in active groups after switching apps.
Photos and videos	RCS can handle richer media than old SMS or MMS when available.	Use RCS with contacts who have it turned on.
Web or tablet texting	Old Message+ sync is no longer the place to rely on.	Use the web or device pairing option in your new messaging app.
Backups	Old texts may be scattered across local phone storage and backups.	Back up the phone before clearing app data or trading it in.
Notifications	Sounds, badges, and bubbles may reset after the app switch.	Check notification settings once the new app is active.

How To Switch Without Losing Your Place

Start with the phone you use most. Don’t remove Message+ first. Open the replacement app, make it the default, then check whether your existing one-on-one and group threads appear. Most people should see regular SMS and MMS threads because those messages sit in the phone’s message store.

On Android, install or open Google Messages. When asked, set it as the default SMS app. Then tap your profile icon, open message settings, and check RCS chats. If the status says connected, RCS is ready for contacts who also have it.

On iPhone, open Settings, go to Apps, then Messages. Turn on RCS Messaging if the option appears. iMessage stays separate, so blue-bubble chats keep using Apple’s own service while green-bubble chats may use RCS, SMS, or MMS depending on the other person and the carrier.

Before You Delete Message+

Give yourself a few minutes to check the threads you care about. Search for family names, work contacts, banking alerts, two-factor codes, and any old media you might need. If a thread is missing, check your phone backup and any older device that still has the thread.

• Take screenshots of short threads that matter.
• Use your phone’s backup tool before a reset or trade-in.
• Save photos and videos from old threads to your gallery.
• Send a test message to one Android user and one iPhone user.
• Check that verification texts from banks and apps still arrive.

Situation	Best Move	Why It Helps
You use Android	Set Google Messages as default.	It handles SMS, MMS, and RCS in one place.
You use iPhone	Use Apple Messages and turn on RCS if offered.	It keeps iMessage and regular texting under one app.
Old texts seem missing	Check the old phone, phone backup, and default app setting.	The texts may be local, not gone.
RCS stays stuck	Turn it off, wait, then turn it back on.	Number verification can stall during app changes.
Group texts act odd	Start a fresh group thread.	Old app routing can leave stale group settings behind.
You are changing phones	Back up the old phone before wiping it.	It protects local texts and media.

What You May Miss From Message+

Message+ had a loyal user base because it did a few things people liked. Some users liked its Verizon account tie-in, its layout, and the way it handled texting across more than one screen. Losing that familiar setup can feel annoying, mainly if you used it for years.

The replacement apps are still the safer bet now. Google Messages fits Android texting better than a retired carrier app. Apple Messages fits iPhone texting better than a third-party carrier app. Both are more likely to get ongoing fixes, phone-maker changes, and RCS improvements.

Common Problems After Switching

If messages fail after the move, check the default app setting first. Android can only have one default SMS app at a time. If the wrong app is selected, texts may appear delayed, duplicated, or missing.

If RCS will not connect, check your mobile data, Wi-Fi, phone number, and app version. Then restart the phone. RCS may take a little time to verify after a new app, new SIM, or new phone transfer.

If older media is missing, search the phone gallery as well as the thread. MMS files may have been saved separately. For high-value items, save copies outside your texting app so a later phone reset doesn’t wipe them.

Clean Setup Checklist

Use this order if you want the least messy switch. It keeps the old app in place until your replacement app is working and your texts are checked.

1. Back up your phone.
2. Open Google Messages or Apple Messages.
3. Set the app as your default texting app where needed.
4. Turn on RCS if the setting appears.
5. Send and receive test texts.
6. Check old threads, photos, videos, and group chats.
7. Only then remove old Message+ data if you no longer need it.

Message+ shutting down is frustrating if you liked the app, but it doesn’t mean your number is broken or your texts are doomed. The safest move is simple: switch to the phone’s standard messaging app, verify RCS, save anything you care about, and stop using Message+ as your texting hub.