Google Messages vs iMessage: how they differ for someone with a Mac

If you carry an Android phone, Google Messages is the app you use, and iMessage is not an option on the phone. If you carry an iPhone, iMessage is built in. The two are not interchangeable. iMessage is Apple's own service between Apple devices. Google Messages is Google's app for SMS, MMS, and RCS, and its RCS chats can now reach iPhones. For a person with a Mac and an Android phone, the useful comparison is what each one lets you do from the Mac, and the answer is that Google Messages wins by default, because it is the only one that can see your phone's number.

Publisher note: The Relay publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Details about other products come from each maker's own pages, checked on 26 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

What is the difference between Google Messages and iMessage?

Apple's page on iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS says iMessage messages "can be sent to another iPhone or another Apple device", and that the Messages app on an iPhone can also use RCS and SMS/MMS to reach everyone else. Google's RCS overview describes RCS as "a modern industry standard for messaging" that adds typing indicators, read receipts, and high-resolution photos and video over SMS and MMS.

So the real difference is who can use it. iMessage needs an Apple device on both ends. Google Messages works with any phone number, falls back to SMS or MMS, and uses RCS when both sides have it.

Side by side

How does each work from a Mac?

Google Messages pairs with a browser. Google's pairing page says to open Messages on the phone, choose Device Pairing, sign in on the computer with the same Google Account, and match the emoji. It lists Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. The page also lists Android 5.0 or higher on the phone and says the phone needs a Wi-Fi or data connection. Our Android messages on a Mac guide has the full steps, and the Google Messages app for Mac explains how to get it into the Dock.

iMessage on a Mac uses the Messages app. Apple's Mac guide says an Apple Account lets you message anyone using iMessage on an Apple device, and that sending SMS, MMS, or RCS from the Mac needs an iPhone. With an Android phone, the Mac can only do iMessage from your Apple Account email address. We explain that in iMessage on a Mac without an iPhone.

Can they talk to each other?

Not as iMessage. A chat between an Android phone and an iPhone uses RCS, SMS, or MMS. Google's RCS FAQ says RCS now works between Android and iPhones, and lists typing indicators, read receipts, group chat management, and high-resolution photos and videos. It says RCS may not be available to iPhone users depending on country and carrier. Apple's RCS page says the iPhone needs iOS 18 and a carrier that supports RCS.

And the encryption?

On 11 May 2026, Google and Apple each announced end-to-end encrypted RCS between iPhone and Android in beta, needing iOS 26.5 and a supported carrier on the iPhone, and the latest Google Messages on the Android phone. Apple's support page says to look for the lock and "Encrypted" label, because without it messages are not protected in transit. Google's older RCS FAQ still says chats with iPhone users are not end-to-end encrypted, which looks out of date next to the announcement. The details are in our encrypted RCS news piece.

Which should I use?

• You have an Android phone and want to text from your Mac: Google Messages for web. It is free and sends from your own number.
• You mostly message iPhone users: use RCS in Google Messages and check for the lock icon. You cannot join their blue-bubble iMessage threads.
• You want blue bubbles on your Mac anyway: sign in to Messages with an Apple Account. It reaches Apple users at your email address only.
• You want texts and login codes on the Mac as they arrive: consider The Relay. It is one subscription through Google Play that covers your phone and your Mac, with a 7-day free trial. Its texts and one-time codes feature shows an SMS on the Mac and copies a login code in it to the clipboard. It does not send texts and is not iMessage, so Google Messages for web is better when you want to reply. See The Relay vs Google Messages for web.

Questions people ask

Is Google Messages the same as iMessage?

No. Google Messages is an Android app for SMS, MMS, and RCS. iMessage is Apple's service, built for Apple devices.

Can I use iMessage in Google Messages?

Not that we found on either company's pages. Apple's pages list only Apple devices for iMessage. Third-party bridges are discussed in Does Android have iMessage?.

Is Google Messages more secure than iMessage?

Apple says iMessage has always been end-to-end encrypted. Google says Google Messages encrypts RCS end to end between Google Messages users, and encryption is not available for SMS or MMS, per its encryption page. Neither page ranks them, and we have not measured anything.