Text online login going to My Account

[DJ20]

I have a link to the Text Online login page. When I log in this morning it sends me to "My Verizon Dashboard" instead. When I then select under Account -> More -> Text Online I get sent back to the login page and the whole circle starts again.  Log in -> Dashboard...

Any idea what is going on?

[vzw_customer_support · Accepted solution]

rlmmhc00n2 We understand your concern with the transition. The entire Message+ platform will be retired mid-2024 in light of the growing popularity of device based texting options. For now you can continue to use Message+ on your device. However, we encourage you and your family to start using the text messaging options on your devices now to ensure a seamless transition for your text messaging needs once Message+ is retired.

Update June 2024:

These changes are coming to Verizon Messages (Message+):

• Message+ app Shutdown - On or about June 2024, Verizon will start to shut down the Verizon Message+ app. Once the Message+ app is shut down, you won’t be able to use the Message+ app to send and receive messages.
• Messaging Web Client Access - The ability to send and receive text messages on Verizon’s website is discontinued as of 12/11/23. Your message history will remain. You can continue to use the Android™ and iOS versions on mobile devices or the Mac® desktop version. We recommend using Google Messages to continue to send and receive text messages in a web browser.
  • Get instructions on how to use Google Messages on your laptop and eligible mobile device at Check your messages on your computer or Android tablet.
  • For iOS mobile devices, you can send and receive messages only through the Message+ mobile app.
• eGift cards will no longer be available to buy through Message+ after April 2024. You can redeem previously purchased eGift cards after this date.

Android users: We recommend switching from Message+ to Google Messages on your Android devices before June 2024. Download Google Messages directly from the Google Play Store if it's not already on your Android device.

Note: While we do system maintenance before the shutdown of Message+, other participants in your group texts may see messages with a 588 area code stating that your number has “left the group”.

This doesn’t require any action on your part. You can delete or ignore these network notification texts.

-Andi

[rgnewell]

@Andi, please see my prior post about why using other options is not truly an option for many.  I have pasted it below should you have missed it.

There are situations when the offered/recommended solutions do not work:

1. Use some 3rd party app such as Phone Link, Google Message, MightyText, etc.:
   • Will not work if there is not good cell service (which happens to a lot of us particularly those in healthcare) then the texts do not effectively get to the phone which is how then ultimately get to the linked computer.  This is one of the reasons many of us use this service because we don't have cell service but need to text efficiently
   • Will not work for those  with "dumb phones" that cannot download an app to the phone (which is what is required to link the 3rd party app to the PC).  Folks very intentionally have "dumb phones" to disconnect but still want to text efficiently when they want or for folks that have them for their children to allow for more parental control and can allow their children to more efficiently text by using their computers. 
   • Company/Enterprise firewall issues that may cause inability to access the 3rd party app
2. Use an Android/iOS emulator
   • My company/enterprise does not allow access to emulators
   • Emulators use a lot of CPU power and bandwidth and don't work well with lower-end computers or when there is weak wifi

[rlmmhc00n2]

As indicated by a previous poster, there is really no way to recover full functionality from any of the suggested workarounds. Or even usability for many of us.  For me the ability to use a full keyboard  has long been critical for a substantial amount of the texting I do.  During the workday tons of my texting is with colleagues and collaborators, where quickly and easily screenshotting computations, visuals, computer code, written work, websites & output from  various computer apps directly from the laptop I'm working on and sharing directly into the texting app is literally critical to my work life. We have Slack, but not everyone is in the same organization. Everyone, everywhere has a cell phone however and this is still the universal way people in my professional sphere communicate in real-time. Finally, as the previous poster mentioned, the horribly clunky emulators are generally blocked by corporate IT. 

The value of the service I'm paying Verizon for drops about 80% without a functional computer or web app, a rudimentary thing to maintain for VZ and readily available through other providers. 

I do appreciate Andi's reply.  It is clarifying, if disappointing. Not much more to say at this point. I've been a VZ customer for almost 20 years at this point, but will be shifting to TMobile in December.

[rgnewell]

@verizon please let us know ASAP if you are changing your mind and not removing this web-based texting service.  If I don't hear from you by end of this month (November 2023) I will be switching to T-mobile.

Thanks!

[t_h_arner]

These are all valid points it will push people away from VZ

[Teresadfp1]

Wow, this is so disappointing.  It's so much more convenient to type out messages on my desktop rather than on my phone. I think this is a really poor decision.  😞

[toddt0606DC]

Good to hear you all decided to give us more time but you may want to update your in app announcement, it still mentions 12/11/23.

"The ability to send and receive text messages in Verizon's website will be discontinued on 12/11/23. Your message history will remain and you can continue to use the Android and iOS versions on mobile devices or the Mac desktop version. We recommend using Messages by Google which will allow you to continue to message in a web browser. To learn more, go to https://support.google.com/messages/answer/7611075 for instructions about how to use Messages by Google on your laptop and eligible mobile device. For iOS mobile devices, you can send and receive messages only through the Message+ mobile app."

I see you mention "device based texting options". I am confident you are talking about phone based, not lap top or computer based, am I wrong in reading it that way?

Using an internal Verizon based app on desktop or laptop is very different than using an external chat or messaging app, please know there is a big difference to us users.

[rlmmhc00n2]

Have I missed something? I see this: "Good to hear you all decided to give us more time but you may want to update your in app announcement, it still mentions 12/11/23" from a recent poster, but I have seen no message from VZ suggesting they intend to extend their timeframe for discontinuation. I would rather not switch carriers if it is not necessary (or not clearly necessary yet). So if someone could point me to any official text from Verizon indicating they will not terminate the web app in December, I'd very much appreciate. Otherwise I will assume this was a misunderstanding, and will shift to T-Mobile next week as initially planned

[Mordy502]

Me too this will be supper disappointing

Please don't do it!

[t_h_arner]

But what about iphone users... What do we use until then. Some people work air gapped environments and can use a wireless device. What about those people. Will vtext relaying still work?

[misstkm]

Verizon,  

Please do not do this. I work in a building where a cannot have my device and the online text message is the only way I can stay connected with my children in the event of an emergency. 

[269587jd]

What does this mean? Isn't Message+ the app that VZ customers use on their phones to send messages? 

It's like companies developed better ways of IM'ing and DM'ing which killed off AIM, ICQ, Y!M, and then they do the same to their own texting platform?

Just seems like I'm paying $70 a month for a phone plan and getting nothing out of it.

[JustinMcInvale]

I work in a building where I cannot have my cellphone and where I cannot access the website that was suggested in the discontinuation message.

Now I cannot get any texts at all while at work and know of no other way to get them other than sneaking my cellphone in which I refuse to.

I suspect there's many more Verizon customers just like me who depend on texting online to keep in contact with family in case of an emergency.

[rgnewell]

I know hundreds of people that use this service to text while working, traveling, or for speed and efficiency sake when texting.   Please do not do this Verizon - it will for sure make your current customer look to different carriers.

There are situations when the offered/recommended solutions do not work:

1. Use some 3rd party app such as Phone Link, Google Message, MightyText, etc.:
   • Will not work if there is not good cell service (which happens to a lot of us particularly those in healthcare) then the texts do not effectively get to the phone which is how then ultimately get to the linked computer.  This is one of the reasons many of us use this service because we don't have cell service but need to text efficiently
   • Will not work for those  with "dumb phones" that cannot download an app to the phone (which is what is required to link the 3rd party app to the PC).  Folks very intentionally have "dumb phones" to disconnect but still want to text efficiently when they want or for folks that have them for their children to allow for more parental control and can allow their children to more efficiently text by using their computers. 
   • Company/Enterprise firewall issues that may cause inability to access the 3rd party app
2. Use an Android/iOS emulator
   • My company/enterprise does not allow access to emulators
   • Emulators use a lot of CPU power and bandwidth and don't work well with lower-end computers or when there is weak wifi

Once again, please do not do this Verizon - it will for sure make your current customer look to different carriers.

[toddt0606DC]

I agree with all of this, the use case here is extremely important and Google Chat or Messages by Google is not a good solution to something that comes directly and internally from Verizon itself which is directly connected to our phones. Being able to text from my Verizon phone number is the functionality I depend on daily, this would be a huge loss for users of all types.

[toddt0606DC]

Verizon, I absolutely second the recommendation of keeping your online/desktop text feature. I use this resource daily for work and personal and when my phone is not available, lost, left at my home or similar, I can turn to Verizon Messages for help. The recommendation of users turning to Messages by Google isn't very relevant since it would not accomplish the task of sending and receiving texts from our Verizon phones. I use MbyG and it is a great chat platform, but it doesn't offer direct access to texts on our Verizon phones. Having the ability to use your desktop messaging system has been extremely valuable to me and I know, many other Verizon users who are paying high premiums for your service. I wouldn't remove this, I would enhance it by offering  a more seamless experience for users.  This will be a major set back so I hope you reconsider. Thanks, Todd in Washington D.C.

[dave5867]

PLEASE DON'T DISCONTINUE THIS. Texting on phones has only gotten worse. The google integration doesn't work for me. I literally bought my newest phone with verizon because I knew at least I could rely on the texting interface on the computer. Please don't make me switch carriers. Thanks for listening.

[FullerD]

Another reason to dump Verizon.  And I will be shortly.  Like many others, I work somewhere  where phones are not allowed in the building.   And Google products are  not allowed to be installed.  While the stated end date is the 11th,  it is already been shutdown.  So very sad.  They can't even keep their word.

[rlmmhc00n2]

I'm still getting the web-page for VZ messages.  I'm waiting to see if they really go through with this. It is such a bizarre unforced error, so much easier to stick with their current clunky web messaging app and keep their customers. If it really goes down I'll switch to T-mobile for the reasons we're all discussing here. T-mobile has a great and easy transfer system,  you lose nothing monetarily or  in terms of text history by switching. And people don't switch cell carriers every other month (or at least people who are not running from the law don't do this :P). VZ has cultivated customers often for over a decade who will leave in December. And just due to the way normal people handle their cell service, they will literally never get back these longstanding customers. It is nuts. But it is what it is

[Spaulding_JB]

As a Mac User and someone who has relied heavily on the web-based texting, this is really disappointing. It probably isn't much consolation to the Windows users left without a functioning non-phone based texting option, but the app for Macs/Ipads DOES NOT WORK.  Simply put there is high user dissatisfaction with it on the Apple App Store and will not load on either my brand new out-of-the-box work MacBookPro or my personal MBP which is merely two years old.

Indeed, starting today communication will be more difficult; which in today's technologically driven world is a rare occurrence.  

VERIZON: PLEASE UPDATE AND IMPROVE YOUR MAC DESKTOP APP!!!!

[269587jd]

LOLOL. 

A Mac app? I guess they expect an app that hasn't been updated in over 5 months to be useable for MacOS users. Except, I've never been able to get the app to work on any of my 5 Macs. Ranging from a 2010 MacBook Pro to an M2 MacBook Air.

I have received "Internal Server Error" for 3 years. So, just because they offer this false solution, I hope people don't think that Apple users have it any better.  Many of us are left without desktop texting options as well.

I have relied on the web applet for this entire time and IDK what I'm going to do. It's dead and there are no other options. This a frickin' joke, VZ.

(Oh, and I'm one of those dumb phone users that can't download an app to even attempt to use Google Messaging,)

I'd like more explanation on what is meant when VZ posted about the entire messaging app platform being removed.