Google has announced a re-calibration of its efforts in the messaging space, pulling engineers off Allo and onto a new communications initiative called Chat.
As originally reported by The Verge, Chat is the “consumer-friendly name” for rich communication services (RCS), a new standard that Google are hoping will supplant SMS.
Once enabled, it promises to allow for richer and multimedia-friendly messaging features found in other texting apps like iMessage and WhatsApp. For example, features like read receipts, typing indicators, Google Assistant integration, GIF-searching, full-resolution images and videos and better group texts.
At this stage, the biggest absence here is Apple. That said, sources speaking to The Verge claimed that the company is currently in discussions with Google about supporting RCS.
Google says RCS will automatically be enabled by inside Google’s default Android Messages app. Then, if your network supports the feature, text messages sent using the default Android messaging app will automatically be sent as RCS ones.
If the person you’re texting has an RCS-friendly device and carrier, they’ll receive this message just as if it were a normal text. If they don’t have a compatible carrier or phone, they’ll still be able to receive RCS messages – only they’ll be automatically and seamlessly translated into a traditional SMS.
Interestingly, The Verge said customers sending these messages will be charged for data rather than they would for an SMS message. They also note that RCS won’t offer the end-to-end encryption found in messaging services like Signal or even iMessage.
Expect more information and news about Chat to emerge at Google’s I/O Conference next month.
IDG News Service
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