After my smartphone vendor's SMS app, and Google Messages both started serving me non-stop loans ads and gambling ads (never gambled ever in my life), I switched to Fossify Messages, and it has been going great for me. Never looked back.
Where are ads displayed in your Google Messages? I have never seen any ads and I struggle to even imagine where they would place an ad within its interface.
How is this distinguishable from spam? It's a random vendor sending you an RCS message. It's not the app serving ads, it's doing its job displaying the message.
Deleting the Messages app for this is the same as deleting your email client in a bid to reduce spam.
I'd need to see proof that android has anything to do with it. It's just a vendor sending you a RCS version of marketing messages. If they have your phone number they send you the message, google or not.
And the whole lot bypasses your actual telco, so when you’re on your nation’s do-not-call register, you can’t even file a proper complaint, there isn’t even a number to report.
There is a solution even without changing app: disable RCS. Everything real is fine with SMS, so ads are the only casualty. I wonder if this stupidity helps kill the already-struggling RCS.
Only things I use SMS for are purely utility: OTP, CC spend notice, bill payment, insurance premium, etc.
Only time I need SMS, i.e. when a family member or a friend travels to a remote area, internet, and hence, RCS don't work anyway. So, I had to switch to good old SMS. Since I deleted all RCS stuff, I use Signal/WApp/Telegram 99.99% of the times, and good old SMS for the rest of the situations.
