Verizon Messages is Verizon's entry into the online messaging market. It's a densely competitive field, as dozens of variations on this design are available, and many offer essentially the same functionality. To a large extent, the value of these apps come down to the size of the service's install base, and that's likely why Verizon decided to open up the app from simply Verizon customers to everyone.

The features that Messages offers are well implemented but also well worn. Its interface, from both a UI perspective and the general design and assets, is functionally not very different from Facebook Messenger. At its core, it's an internet based alternative to traditional SMS text messaging. Messages facilitates conversations ranging in size from two all the way up to 250, and traditional messaging is supplemented by the ability to send pictures and videos.

There are some neat bells and whistles with Messages. Putting the app in Driving Mode sets it to send automatic replies to any messages you receive, and you can also set schedules for delayed message sending, a boon for a number of advertising and marketing professionals. But fundamentally, Messages doesn't do anything that similar services aren't doing better, even as it works hard to keep up with the full feature sets of more established apps.