Textra is a great app — fast, smooth, simple, and customizable. I'd love to see it improve even more. Here are some suggestions:
• Display unread count in conversation list.
• In the conversation list, for group messages, display initials for contacts without pictures.
• In conversation list, have option to display newest conversations at the bottom (consistent with message view, easier to reach with one hand).
• In conversation list, swipe right to archive conversation (hides it from list).
• Options to change incoming text color, outgoing text color, timestamp color, bubble color, primary color, accent color, and background color independently. In addition, allow user to define custom colors (not choosing from a predefined palette).
• Option to define a day theme and a night theme that switch automatically.
• Option to not display chat bubbles, or display bubbles only on incoming or outgoing messages. (I prefer having bubbles on only incoming messages, as it emphasizes what I need to read).
• Option to hide microphone from input box; most keyboards have a voice input button.
• Individual chat options should be accessible from message view (e.g. when tapping on the contact's icon in the upper-right).
• In conversation list, for last message, indicate whether it was incoming or outgoing (perhaps with a flipped ↵ symbol or italics)
• In quick reply, tapping on header should open app.
• Option to have quick reply persist after sending message.
• Option to display contact images in message view.
• Option to display messages aligned left (with an indent for outgoing messages — see hello sms's layout).
• Option to change font.
• I personally would like the icon a lot more without the T!