When it comes to RCS messages, companies like Google have been trying this out for a long time. However, they were unable to do pushback by phone carriers. However, the company has finally announced that they will be making Rich Communication services available to all and RCS will be available to all through the Message app globally. The feature will be rolled out initially in the beta stage after which the app will be improved and further released in a stable version.
Now whoever has an Android smartphone will be able to experience chat features like high-res photo and video sharing, typing indicators and read receipts, location sharing, message reactions, the ability to chat over Wi-Fi or data, and much more. The beta test for the same has started with end-to-end encryption between one-on-one RCS conversations in the app. This will make sure that the content in the chat cannot be read by anyone else like Google or any other third party.
The feature will only work for users with Google Messages installed as their default messaging app and have RCS features enabled. One can currently simply update the messages app on the Play store. Once that is done, the chat features can be activated through the app settings. It is hoped that RCS becomes a more widely accepted and used standard in these other messaging apps. Also, since it is powered by Google, you can expect regular updates and better privacy and security measures for the chats.