Disgruntled Long-time Verizon Customer - Now Issue with Texts!

I've been a Verizon customer my whole adult life. Over the last couple of years there have been several issues, but the latest one may be putting me over the edge to switch carriers.

I am an Android user. Yesterday morning I opened up my text messages, only to not being able to see them, instead, there was a message that says "Message + was shut down on 12/9/24. Make Google messages your default and messaging application and all of your messaging history will transfer".

It seemed so bizarre, I wasn't sure whether this was real. Longer story short -- called Verizon, found out that this was real and I had no choice but to switch to Google messaging if I wanted to keep my Android phone. Pissed me off to no end but what choice did I have? I pressed "switch now" and I did NOT like what I saw. I did not like the way in which the texts appeared AND it did NOT transfer over all my messages!!! I switched back to another option on my phone called "Message" or something like that (I'm exactly sure of what it is, it was always there and I THINK it may have been a Verizon app that predated this "Message +.)

I am now at a crossroads. I REALLY pissed off at being FORCED to use Google for messaging. I do need a new phone, but I prefer Android, I would rather not go the iPhone route. I want my text messages back! Again, they did not all transfer and I am PISSED OFF!!!!!!!!!

My question is, can anyone recommend a good third party messaging app that will transfer over all my texts as well? Not talking about alternatives like Signal or What's App, looking at ones more akin to regular text messaging, such as Textra. Transferring the current texts is incredibly important to me, and I really want something to look like it used to look, not Google messaging!

This honestly may be the last straw with Verizon for me. I am not only a mobile customer, I also have Fios television and internet, as well as a home phone -- yes, I still have my home phone number!

Thanks for any input. If I can't find a good solution I am going to start exploring other carriers for all of my Verizon products.