Google Messages turning on RCS by default, group E2E encryption launches

Make a public RCS API for Android. Stop trying to get people to use your app by withholding features from third party apps.

Yeah I thought RCS was going to be this platform-agnostic service à la SMS.

I'm trying out matrix with my close family and it's working great. Bonus points it doesn't require a phone number or even a phone at all.
- Last time I tried to introducing my family to an alternate messaging that wasn't the default app on their phone I started getting messages in both places with no rhyme or reason to why they would use one over the other.
- Yeah I thought RCS was going to be this platform-agnostic service à la SMS.
  
  well in fact it is, but noone except I believe T-Mobile in the US and Samsung actually did it; everyone else just uses Google's implemention because it's a ready product and works great. well, except Apple, who doesn't do it for their own bullshit reasons
Thanks you! I use Textra, it's so much better than the stock app but Google never opened up their API. I believe for Google said they were going to back in like 2018 or something (if I'm not mistaken, which I could be)
- Textra was the best before rcs was launched. Id love to see them get their hands on an API for it.

Fix the goddamned failover to SMS you morons! My kids don't have data plans and I usually keep data turned off on my phone (because Canada), I keep having to turn off RCS altogether because if I try to send them a message over RCS it doesn't failover to SMS (yes, I have the option turned on), it just sits there dumfounded saying "can't deliver".

You fail at failing.

Yes this is the biggest issue. It's caught me out several times where I thought the message was sent but wasn't.

I've reported it to Google. I hope someone reads the feedback....
You don't get a promotion for blocking a buggy launch.
I usually keep data turned off on my phone (because Canada)

What does this mean? I'm in Canada and I've got data turned on virtually the entire time
- As in "data plans are stupid-expensive here".

That's nice. But without some serious marketing they won't get people off of WhatsApp in Europe.

I don't know how much better going to another closed system is. AFAIK it's only Google running these servers and only their implementation.
- Yeah. I don't really think it's better either. I just think it'll fall flat on its face like Google's many many previous attempts at messaging unless they actually tell people it exists.
- RCS is federated in a way (between service providers, you can't easily self-host this stuff). The unencrypted protocol is also open.
  
  In practice, nobody but spammers cares about RCS. Google wrapped the whole thing into a "you won't get shamed by iOS users anymore if Apple would just pick this up" envelope to gain support, but I don't think that many Android users are using SMS/RCS for their messaging anyway.
- T-Mobile and Samsung have their own implementations (which are compatible with Google's)
I don't think they care about beating WhatsApp, they only care about iMessage. WhatsApp doesn't stop people from buying Android phones, iMessage does.
Don't worry about Europe, we don't use SMS and we also do not want RCS.
We are perfectly fine using apps like Telegram/whatsapp/Signal.

The whole "green/blue bubbles" thing is USA only, keep it USA only please, thank you.
- RCS done properly would be nice. I'd very much like to not be sending my messages through meta. Google's implementation, however, just trades one American giant for another.
- I'm European and I pretty much only use SMS with family members and such. It always works! But pretty much everyone in my extended family uses an iPhone which is annoying when I want to send or receive big media files. So it would be very nice if iOS started to support RCS messaging
  
  I primarily use Discord with friends. I don't think I have ever met one that uses signal or Telegram regularly. The only ones I know that use whatsapp are my parents. Old people mostly use Facebook messenger or maybe whatsapp I believe.
- Yea. This concerns only stupid Americans and their obsessions with bubbles.
  
  Us Asians also do not need stinkin' RCS. We use WhatsApp.

Yeah, I already noticed this in the last few days... my texts now show two checkmarks and a lock... at least when I text another Android user.

You should also be able to swipe on the message to direct reply and send reactions too

Only "benefit" of RCS I've seen is the avalanche of spam from companies. I'll be turning it off. Don't text that much anyway.

How do you get so much spam? Where are you from? I want to understand since usually I get no spam at all...
- Apparently it's a problem in some countries. I have read many Indians complaining, for example. I myself have never received any spam though (Europe).
Can confirm. With rcs on I get more messages from fucking insurance companies than my own people. Fuck Google and fuck their products.
i mean sms messages are extremely expensive and when you need to contact someone over sms rcs can be a life saver
- I didn't know you could even get a phone subscription without unlimited calls, sms, and mms anymore.
  
  After a bit of looking I couldn't find any subscription without it.

As someone who currently uses Pulse SMS+ and has been looking for alternatives like Google Messaging, are there any major issues I should be aware of?

I liked Pulse since I could send messages from a desktop app, but I can't install it on my work computer any longer.

I also liked the WearOS app from Pulse, but they discontinued it.

Google's messaging app actually has a desktop browser based client that you can use to send messages from your computer. So that might actually be a good solution for you. I use it regularly and have no complaints about either the phone app or the web app.
- I'll have to try that out, thanks.
The one bug that I've had for a long while now is the "auto resend as SMS" feature that's supposed to kick in if the RCS chat fails, takes forever to work. It's much faster to just manually hit the send as SMS option if there are issues going on.

It uses the Signal protocol for its encryption so they went with a well known and proven option, but metadata isn't encrypted like it is with the actual Signal app apparently so it's not quite as secure.

A good chunk of my family uses Android and all have RCS enabled so I get to use it a good amount and it's been pretty solid for me.

Edit: the desktop app is actually just a PWA website so that might be able to get around your work PC's restrictions on installing apps.
- You probably shouldn't send private messages on your work PC though.
- Good to know. Thanks
I moved to Google Messages when Signal dropped SMS support and it's been fine. Most people I know who aren't on Signal or WhatsApp are on iPhones, but there are a decent number who apparently have RCS so -- perversely -- Signal dropping SMS support had actually resulted in a net increase in my secure messaging.
- That is why signal dropped support for it.theybssid it was to increase security because users could accidentally be using signal sending regular SMS. The way you got lore secure is not how they advertised the removal, but makes sense that happens in some cases. Same thing happened to me.
- Makes sense. Thanks

I thought it was already on by default? Or is that just for pixels

it's not. atm it's not only opt-in but also requires to actually go to settings and enable it, it won't prompt you when launching the app
- Hmm on my Pixel it prompts me every now and then with a popup, even though I don't want to enable it.
  
  I never use text messages, I already use Telegram and WhatsApp, and I don't like that, in the rare case I need to send an SMS, I'm not sure if it uses my internet connection or not.

The people using RCS, does the phone have to be on for it to work? If you're using the web app can it just skip the phone entirely?

It does require, and go through, the phone
Yes, the phone need to be on. If the phone you are sending an sms to is not on, the application fallback to standard SMS.
- the application fallback to standard SMS.
  
  it doesn't by default
Phone needs to be on since messages are stored on the device

But google voice?

I finally gave up on rcs and I'm on beeper now. I had one or two friends that it just never works with and there is no way to disable it per conversation so I was unable to talk to just those people. Hopefully when beeper adds rcs soon it'll be better.

How are you liking Beeper? I'm on the wait list.
- I can't overstate how big of a fan I am! There are certainly a few rough edges (particularly with attachments and gifs for text convos) but other than that it's been great. I use the iMessage integration but only with one friend cause I've been nervous to rely on it. The devs are really good at communicating when there is an outage which gives me a lot of confidence.
I see it's currently invite only - just signed up for the waitlist because wow that looks awesome.
Permanently Deleted
Beeper seems to be open source!

Edit: sadly the app isn't

MLS please come and save us...

@Axion App says RCS is not supported on my device. Looks like I will be staying on XMPP.

That's actually strange. Google said a while back that all devices with Google Messages installed should be able to use it regardless of carrier too.
I've seen this message before with a missing or outdated Carrier Services.