Difference between chat and text message explained?
Using an android phone or tablet to send a text message, you will come across two types of texts especially if you’re using Google messages app.Â
They include text message and chat message.
This can be quite confusing it you’re new to Google messages app. However, this article will explain why you’re seeing text messages  and chat messages on your message app.
Now the question asked is;
What’s the difference between chat and text message?
The main difference between chat and text message is that chat message uses internet, while text message uses cellular network service in sending and receiving text messages.
Chat message on Android phone and tablet is an instant messaging service, while the sms text message uses carrier cellular network service.
Before going further with the difference between the two types of text messaging on android, let me give a short explanation on chat and text message on android.
Related Post:
The text message on android
When you text message on android, you should know that it is the sms text message or the normal text message you usually send and receive using cellular network service, your sim card, phone number, and texting plan or an airtime.
Previously, this is the only means of sending text messages before instant messaging apps and services like iMessage, whatsapp, Skype and others came into the mobile phone world.
Still, lots of people make use of sms text irrespective of the fact that instant messaging is very much popular and a lot better.
To send sms SMS text messages  on your android phone or tablet, these requirements are need from you;
- An active sim card
- A cellular network service.
- A texting plan or airtime.
- A mobile phone
As sms text messages are not free, it attracts charges from your network carrier except if they offer free texting services.
Using sms text message is quite good as you can send text messages to any mobile platform like ios and Java, but it has lot’s of cons compared to instant messaging.
Now let’s see the advantage you will get by using sms text message on android.
ADVANTAGES
- SMS text message is available to all mobile devices and smartphones.
- Android sms text message has a delivery report and notify a sender if the recipient has received a sent text message.
These two are the main benefits of using sms text message to send and receive text messages on your android phone and tablet.
However, it has lot’s of disadvantages, and they are as follows;
DISADVANTAGES
- There’s no read receipts on sms text message.
- You can’t send files using sms text message except for mms which is close to useless in 2022.
- It is not economical as it is not free compared to instant messaging that is free to use.
- You can’t unsend an sms text message.
- There’s no text reaction for sms text messages.
SMS text messages are quite OK and helpful when there’s no active internet connection like Wi-Fi or cellular data on a mobile phone. But if not, instant messaging is simply the best.
Understanding chat message on android
First time of you seeing chat message on your message app especially on Google messages app.
The question is;
What is chat message?
Chat message is an instant messaging service on android, which offers users the option to send and receive text messages through the internet.
It has the delivery report and read receipts feature just like on any other instant messaging apps like iMessage, whatsapp, Skype, Facebook messenger, telegram, etc.
Using chat message on android, you can easily send large files and documents as long as you have an active Wi-Fi or cellular data on your android phone.
Right now almost all network providers offer support for the google rcs chat message especially now in 2022 compared to when it came out and right now it seem to be working perfectly fine just like Apple iMessage.
To get started using rcs chat message on android, you must have an active sim card or an eSik in your android phone.
Once there’s a sim card along with an active internet connection, it should definitely connect your phone number with the app.
As it get connected, you will see it show Connected.
Kindly open the google messages app and tap on the hamburger menu to bring out options which includes Settings.
Tap on Settings to open and you will see Chat Feature as shown in the picture below.
Tap on CHAT FEATURES as shown above right there you will see your chat status.
If it shows Connected then it means your rcs chat message is connected and working on your android phone or tablet.
You’re good to go send and receive rcs chat messages on your android phone or tablet.
Please make sure to enable Send read receipts unless you don’t fancy the option and bear in mind that once you turn off read receipt on your message app, you won’t be able to see other person’s read receipt as well.
Now this is very important, make sure to enable Automatically resend as text as this will try to send the message as chat message if the recipient phone has no internet connection to receive chat messages.
By default, Automatically resend as text will be enabled but in case you disable it, you will not be able to send text messages to someone using an android phone and whose phone number is connected with android rcs chat message.
ADVANTAGES:
- There’s a delivery report and read receipt feature.
- You can send large files like videos, pictures, documents, etc using android rcs chat message.
- Rcs chat message is very economical as you can use Wi-Fi to send and receive rcs chat messages.
- There’s a message reaction to react to sent messages.
Aside from the advantages, it has a disadvantage and they are listed below.
DISADVANTAGES:
- It does connect a phone number to rcs chat message on Wi-Fi.
- There’s no option to unsend a message or delete a message for everyone.
- It only works for android as you can’t send rcs chat message to someone using iPhone or Java phone.
I hate the fact that it is quite difficult to connect rcs chat message using Wi-Fi as it tends to take a long time before it gets connected.
However, if you use cellular data from the sim card, it will connect within seconds.
Since the introduction of ios 16, you can unsend and edit a text message on iMessage, but so far this feature is unavailable on rcs chat message.
I expected Google to add the feature immediately apple released unsend and edit options on iMessage. This is not new if you’re using whatsapp and Facebook messenger.
Now let’s go back with the question of the day.
What’s the difference between chat and text message?
Chat message is an instant messaging service that use VoIP, while text message is short message service (sms) that use carrier cellular service to send and receive text messages.
Below is the difference between chat and text message.
| Text Message | Chat Message |
|---|---|
| Text message is short message service from the network service provider. | Chat message is an instant messaging service that uses VoIP. |
| Text message only have a delivery report but has no read receipts. | Chat message has a delivery report and a read receipt. |
| Text message uses the cellular network service. | Chat message doesn't neccesarily use the cellular network service except if there's no active Wi-Fi connection. |
| Text message can be sent to all mobile devices like ios and Java. | Chat message can't be sent to all mobile devices except for android only. |
| You can't send files using sms text message. | You can send large files like pictures, videos, gifs, files, documents, etc using rcs chat message on android. |
| Text message has no reaction feature. | Chat message on android has a reaction feature just like on iMessage. |
These are the difference between chat and text message on android phone.
Chat message and text messages which is better?
Chat message is way better because it has both delivery and read receipt feature, and can send large files which is not available on sms text messages.
As long as your recipient is using a chat message or connected to rcs chat message, I don’t see the reason to send a normal sms text message.
You can’t tell or know if the recipient has opened and read the sent text message, and except for the fact that it will show delivered.
You can easily send send pictures, videos, gifs, emojis, files, documents, etc using rcs chat message. You can even send your location if you want to and the other person will view it using Google maps.
Lastly, android rcs chat is free to use especially if you have a free Wi-Fi around you.
You can’t receive such services if you’re using sms text message as your carrier network will charge you for sending texts unless they offer free text messages.
The only issue is that you can’t send rcs chat to someone using an iPhone, iPad, and Java phone.
You have to use sms text message to send a text to the person.
Android rcs message is incomparable with sms text message as rcs chat message is far more better than sms text message on android.
Same way iMessage is way better than sms green text message on iPhone.
Is chat the same as a text message?
The answer is no. Chat message is different from text message as chat message is an instant message, while text message is sms text message from the carrier network.
Chat message uses internet, while text message uses cellular network service.
Once you have internet connection on your android phone, and connected to rcs chat message, you will be sending chat messages but only if the recipient is connected to rcs chat message as well.
Are chat messages free?
Chat messages are free as long as you have a free Wi-Fi around your vicinity.
You can also use cellular data though it means you will pay for data subscription to your network service provider.
Generally, you won’t be charged by Google or android when using rcs chat message as it is free to use just like iMessage, whatsapp, Skype, etc.
And this is where I draw the conclusion on the question of the day, what’s the difference between chat and text message on android phone and tablet.
