Google Enhances Messages App Security with Default RCS and Encrypted Group Chats

• IT Pana
• Wed,9 August 2023

Google has unveiled significant security enhancements for its Messages by Google app, aiming to fortify its Rich Communication Services (RCS) — a protocol striving to modernize SMS and align its capabilities with Apple's iMessage. Google's latest announcement outlines its move to establish RCS as the default communication method for both existing and new Messages app users. Additionally, the company has fully rolled out end-to-end encryption for group chats, ensuring comprehensive privacy for RCS users.

This advancement marks the culmination of an open beta for group chat encryption, initially introduced earlier this year. With this update, all forms of communication within Messages, whether they're one-on-one or group conversations, will be shielded from prying eyes, according to Google's assurances.

Having introduced RCS to U.S. Android users in 2019, Google's efforts have extended to coaxing Apple into integrating this technology into its own messaging platform, iMessage. The company even launched a dedicated website last year to illustrate the consumer benefits of RCS, asserting that the initiative wasn't about bubble colors but about improving the overall messaging experience by addressing issues like pixelated videos, disjointed group chats, missing read receipts, and more.

In its campaign, Google publicly criticized Apple for resisting the adoption of modern texting standards, a stance the search giant contends impairs the customer experience. Google sought to rally consumers to its cause, challenging Apple's position.

However, Google's critique of Apple's resistance to modern tech adoption only paints a portion of the picture. Apple's strategic move to lock users into its ecosystem using iMessage is a key factor. The ubiquitous green bubbles are notably unappealing to Apple users, especially the younger demographic. Furthermore, as revealed in legal filings, Apple has no intention of developing an Android version of iMessage due to concerns that it might ultimately harm the company.

In response to a query during a conference about adopting RCS to facilitate better content sharing, Apple CEO Tim Cook quipped, "Buy your mom an iPhone."

Nonetheless, Google remains steadfast in its RCS advancement.

Effective immediately, the default setting for all users will enable RCS, unless these users had previously deactivated the feature in their Settings. Those who wish to opt out will still have the option to disable RCS in Settings, as outlined in a comprehensive help document.

Enabling RCS provides users with a spectrum of advanced messaging capabilities, such as seamless sharing of high-resolution photos and videos, real-time typing indicators, read receipts, messaging over cellular data and Wi-Fi, group chat management (including renaming, editing, and leaving), and the adoption of end-to-end encryption. These functionalities, present in iMessage for years, are now accessible to Google's RCS users.