Google says it is now rolling out support for RCS messages in the Android Messages app to all of its users in the US
Google today announced that it is now rolling out to all of its users in the U.S. support for Rich Communication Services messages (you can think of it as the next generation of SMS) …
US Android Messages users get rich-chat features (read receipts, typing indicators, higher-quality media) without needing their carrier to switch RCS on — Google's servers now provision it by default.
Carriers shift from gatekeepers of the feature set to bystanders on consumer messaging, since Google's rollout no longer depends on per-operator enablement.
Second-order effects
The business-messaging channel built in 2018 stops being a Sprint-scale pilot: any brand reaching Android users through RCS now addresses the whole US base Google just switched on, making rich business messaging viable at national scale.
Operators that were slow to deploy their own RCS infrastructure cede both the user relationship and future monetization of messaging to Google's client and backend.
If the pattern holds, carrier SMS platforms become commodity transport while the messaging experience layer consolidates around Google's app, mirroring how handset OEMs already standardized on its RCS implementation.
The trend: Google is converting RCS from a carrier-negotiated standard into a service it operates itself, country by country, until it controls the default Android messaging stack.
I mean...how can we mine your data if everything is end-to-end encrypted like the fruit company's messaging platform. So, we're doing things differently...to stand out. 👋🔪💀 https://twitter.com/...
“Google has promised that it will only store messages while they're in transit, but the truly privacy-conscious won't want to use RCS for anything particularly sensitive.” https://www.engadget.com/...
I live in some vortex of Google Fi, Google Hangouts, Gmail, & Google Voice that breaks Google Messages even beyond its feeble web interface. Forgive me if I temper my excitement over RCS. Thread/ (This rant triggered by the RCS story from @richardjnieva: https://t.co/...)
1. Google's RCS messaging push on Android is like 16" MacBook Pro keyboard: where things should have been 4 years ago. 2. “One feature notably missing is end-to-end encryption.” 3. “Messages will flow through Google's servers.” I.e. bypassing carriers. https://www.cnet.com/...
BIG news! @Google has started rolling out RCS Messaging to all Android users in the US! Finally be able to chat over Wifi or Mobile data (which will allow to send higher quality video/texts), better group chats, typing bubbles, and a lot more! More info: https://www.blog.google/.…
It's finally happening: Google is rolling out RCS for all Android users in the US. Here are all the details on how to get it, what it means, and how it relates to that recent US carrier announcement: https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...