For the longest time, since acquiring Jibe in 2015, Google has been proactively pushing for the next innovation of messaging called “RCS,” said to replace the existing SMS and MMS. But the effort is setback by industry players, including Apple, not yet jumping on the bandwagon.
Holding onto its guns, amid poor industry support, Google made a major step by choosing to roll out the RCS feature, which is now seamlessly incorporated into its Messages app on Android.
Taking into the Messages help forums, a Google Community Manager spilled the beans, stating how the RCS feature is now enabled by default across new and existing users, unless the said feature itself is disabled.
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The full and rather silent implementation starkly contrasts the previous method that asked users to enroll to enjoy the new functionality, which at times demands applicants to register their phone numbers manually.
Improving upon and going beyond everything that made both SMS and MMS great for communication, Google (via Jibe) promotes RCS as the next big thing in smart communication. In particular, for its ability to transfer high-resolution images and bigger files, chat with multiple people, accurately update when messages are read, and even do video calls.
In terms of privacy and security, RCS also elevates the Messages app by adhering to the principles of encryption via end-to-end encryption, similar to the likes of WhatsApp.
With the Messages app’s recent changes, it seems that Google is poised to deliver a product that will finally go toe-to-toe with Apple’s iMessage app on Android.