Text messages are the most used form of communication in the world, but its technology is a thing of the past. The Short Message Service (SMS) lacks several features that modern messaging apps have had for years, or even on the best Android phones Even so, it’s time for something new. Rich Chat Service (RCS) is Google’s idea for next-generation messaging, but what exactly is it and how do you use it?
What is RCS and how does it change the way I send text messages?
RCS is a new messaging standard that Google aims to unify around GSMA’s Universal Profile. The RCS standard improves the messaging experience for users and the security behind it. RCS provides modern messaging features such as advanced media sharing, encrypted messaging and typing indicators.
RCS is great when texting someone else who has it, and most modern Android phones come with Google Messages as the default messaging app. This means that you are most likely using RCS when texting other Android users with a modern smartphone. The problem occurs when texting someone with an iPhone. Although Google has publicly urged Apple to get them to adopt RCS, Apple continues to refuse to adopt RCS.
This guide focuses on the Google Messages app, the default messaging app on Google Pixel phones and from Samsung, OnePlus, Motorola, and more. If your phone doesn’t come with Google Messages pre-installed, you can download it. Some regions may not support RCS Chat, but it’s available in most of Android’s busiest markets.
Google Messages may ask you to enable RCS before installing
Often times, the Messages app will ask you to enable RCS if you haven’t already. If the following prompt is displayed, you are ready to use RCS.
You can tell that you are sending RCS Chat messages when it says “Chat message” in the login dialog. If Google Messages doesn’t prompt you to enable RCS Chat, read on.
How to manually enable RCS Chat in Google Messages?
If your phone does not activate RCS Chat automatically, you can activate it yourself.
- Messages Open the app.
- in the upper right corner ellipsis tap.
- Recent updates to the app may have your Google account icon in the top right corner. So choose it instead.
- Settings Select the option.
- Chat featuresTap .
- to open Enable chat features Tap the button.
- yes i amTap .
- in red text Connecting message and then in green text Connected You will see the message. Once you are connected, the RCS is ready to use.
Some VPNs may take longer than usual to activate chat features. It usually works fine if you wait a few minutes. The same thing can happen when connecting to another VPN server, so keep that in mind when switching servers. We’ve also seen various reports of VPNs blocking activation altogether.
How to disable RCS Chat in Google Messages
There are various reasons for disabling RCS chat features in the Messages app. If you’re having problems with the connection, turning the setting off and then re-enabling is a good reason to do so.
To disable RCS chat features on your device, do the following:
- Messages Open the app.
- Select the three-dot menu or your profile icon.
- go to settings.
- Chat featuresTap .
- Enable chat featuresSet to off.
- In the popup window CloseTap .
- Chat features are now disabled on your device and you are removed from existing RCS chat groups.
Now that you have disabled RCS, the messages you send and receive will arrive as SMS/MMS until you enable RCS again. It is also recommended that you disable RCS before buying a new phone to avoid potential messaging issues from the previous device. If you keep your old phone, it’s easy to disable these settings first. If you no longer have access to it, Google has a form you can fill out to unregister your phone number.
To avoid problems, do not turn chat features off and on multiple times in a short period of time. You may be deprived of using them for a while. In publishing this guide, we’ve seen multiple reports of up to 10 days, with some users being able to re-register their device with RCS chat features.
What RCS features does Google Messages have?
In the Chat features section of the Settings menu, you will see some options to enhance your RCS experience:
- Send read receipt: This feature allows both users to see if the other has read their message.
- Show typing indicators: Turning this on will allow each user to see if the other is typing. If this feature is turned off, no one can see if the other is typing.
- Automatically resend as text (SMS/MMS): If turned on, this option will send your message as a conventional text if not as an RCS message. This is useful if the person you’re texting loses contact with RCS and you still need to talk to them.
In addition to these settings, there are several RCS features that Google Messages offers:
- Message responses: If both users have RCS enabled, you can react to each other’s messages. Press and hold the message you want to react to and a menu will pop up with emojis for you to choose from. Tap the emoji you want to react to and the other person can see your reaction. This works for all users with or without RCS.
- Group messages: If all messaged users have RCS, a group message is created. This group message allows all users to take advantage of RCS features. For example, if one person is typing, all other users can see it.
- End-to-end encryption: If both users have RCS, encryption is enabled. If you see a lock icon next to a read receipt in a message you sent, you can see that you’re using encryption.
- Reply to individual messages: Soon you will be able to reply to a specific message in a conversation to make it clearer what you are replying to.
- Watch YouTube videos in the app: You can now watch YouTube videos sent in a conversation in the app so you can respond quickly.
End iMessage envy with Google Messages and RCS
iMessage used to be the gold standard for messaging, but Google is quickly starting to catch up with iMessage with the Google Messages app and RCS. Even with these improvements, changing the SMS/MMS standard will take a lot of time and effort, especially if Tim Cook has anything to say about it. Google Messages offers many other great features for all users whether they use RCS or not.