Google has announced that its version of ‘iMessage’ will be available on Android smartphones. ‘Chats,’ as Google calls it, will be the app that does the magic on Android phones. The company stated that they will not create a separate app for this purpose, but will instead use the “Universal Profile for Rich Communication Services” (RCS) standard to modernize the “Traditional” SMS app on Android smartphones.
“Were excited to share these updates and continue to improve the Messages experience around the world,” then goes on to say… “Chat features upgrade SMS text messaging so you can send and receive better quality photos and videos, chat over WI-FI or data, know when your message is read, share reactions, and enjoy more dynamic and engaging group chats,” a statement by Google said.
Google says it has partnered with major industry device makers and telecom giants to make chats a reality. All you have to do is activate Chats in your SMS app, and the service will be enabled on your Android device. However, not all device manufacturers were on board to make this a reality. Alternatively, you can use Google’s messaging app to access this service for free and chat over your WI-FI or mobile network rather than your SMS plan.
“As smartphones get more advanced, our communication apps should also progress to meet our needs. Over the past few years, we’ve worked with the mobile industry and device makers on several carrier networks in certain countries to provide chat features in messages based on the open Rich Communication Services(RCS) standard,” the company further stated.
How to Chat on Google Messages App
Download and install Google’s Messaging app and set it as the default Messaging app. All your text messages will be transferred here. Go to Settings> General> Chat features. Activate the SIM for chat and verify, and you are done setting up chats for your Android.
Chat is only available if the number to which you are sending the message is also Chat enabled. Otherwise, the message will revert to standard SMS/MMS, like how it’s done in ‘iMessage’.
Using Default Messages App
Go to Messages>Advanced >Turn on Advanced messages
Go to Messages> Chats> Turn on Rich Communication Services
Security Concerns
Messages in chats are end-to-end encrypted, which means that only the person to whom the message is addressed can read them.
“We recognize that your conversations are private and it’s our responsibility to keep your personal information safe,” they said.
