With competition from Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, iMessage, and a host of other services that have international footholds, it needs to keep users on a Google service. However, Google is not waiting for universal availability to differentiate itself on messaging. When it is rolled out, Android Messages will prompt you with a notification to “Do more with Android Messages.” In Settings > Advanced > Chat features, users will be able to turn on/off individual features. Those features require RCS, but like with most carrier-related efforts it will take a while for them to be available. On the device front, 11 manufacturers have agreed to the Universal Profile, along with 55 operators. Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon have finally agreed to also support it in recent months. In the US, Sprint already supports it with T-Mobile beginning testing. In the next 12 months, the GSMA forecasts 40 new operators in 30 countries. Meanwhile, a store could offer in-line maps right in a conversation, as well as other branding experiences.Īs of today, 50 carriers in 33 countries have launched RCS. This rich media card allows for flight updates and terminal maps. RCS Business Messaging allows companies to have more interactive conversations with customers.įor example, an airline could send a boarding pass right in conversation. In addition to the consumer features, businesses also get new functionality with Chat. If all members in a group have Chat enabled, they will be able to use all the feature, as well as access controls to leave and join. Unlike SMS and MMS that requires a connection to your carrier’s cellular network, RCS chats can be sent over any internet connection, including Wi-Fi. Sending messages over Wi-FI and mobile data The end user will just see that photo, with that backend URL not publicly visible. With photos, users are uploading an image to that cloud with the recipient’s device receiving a randomized URL. Like many services today, there is cloud component to RCS that’s either controlled by the carrier or solutions like Google’s Jibe RCS Cloud. For the privacy conscious, these two options can be disabled in settings. Meanwhile, the sender can also know if a message has been read by the other person. Most messaging services from Hangouts to Facebook Messenger feature typing indicators that note when the other person has entered text and is preparing a reply. In Android Messages currently, the functionality is referred to simply as “Chat features.” Anything sent over RCS is officially considered a “chat message” compared to a “text message” for SMS and MMS, Google says. It’s Chat now, actuallyīefore we dive further, it’s important to note that the average user will likely never hear of “RCS” even when they get the new features. “Chat” is the consumer-friendly name of this initiative, with carriers and Google planning to exclusively refer to it that way. Google also offers the Jibe Cloud and Hub to help carriers add and support RCS. Apple, the other major player in the phone space, has yet to announce whether it intends to support RCS on iOS and thus be compatible with the vast majority of other devices. It is one of the two operating system vendors - the other being Microsoft - to publicly support RCS on devices. While Cupertino has been almost silent on RCS, Google plays two roles in the big transition to the new standard. This RCS Universal Profile guarantees a consistent experience that allows users on whatever network and device to get messages and use the same features. Given how it “hasn’t evolved to take advantage of all the features that smartphones enable today,” Rich Communications Services (RCS) is aimed at upgrading SMS. There is a decade-long history of various releases, but in 2016 carriers around the world finally agreed to the Universal Profile. Oh, and what’s that “Chat” thing I’ve heard about? That standard, long touted as an upgrade to SMS, is finally getting adoption from all the key players around the world and users are closer than ever to benefiting from it.īut as the world makes this shift, it can be a bit confusing to see what distinguishes Google’s Android Messages app and the RCS standard. The feature reflects how Google is centering its messaging future around Android Messages and ultimately RCS. Google last month introduced the highly anticipated ability to send and receive texts from the web.
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