What Is Android RCS Messaging and How To Enable It

Apple modernized iMessage for iPhone with iOS 13. Just when Apple users started to think they were having fun with iMessage, Google threw a wrench in the works with RCS messaging. The service is expected to help connect more people and businesses, in addition to providing better messaging to Android users.

If you like texting family and friends all day on your Android device, you're going to love this new form of messaging that arrives on your smartphone, if you haven't already.

Read on to find out what RCS messaging is and how to activate it on your phone.

What is RCS Android messaging

Rich Communications Services, also known as RCS, is a new form of messaging that improves the experience on your phone, giving it a look and feel similar to popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook.

Long before Google started promoting its RCS Chat version in 2018, RCS existed as it had been offered a decade ago.

Today, it is a standard protocol that all mobile operators can use and should replace age-old SMS text messaging.

Operators have already started rolling out RCS functionality with other cool features that leverage the 4G LTE and possibly 5G cellular infrastructure in the future.

For Android users in the United States, the feature is now fully deployed and enabled on your devices. However, for other users around the world, you will be able to send SMS to anyone using RCS messages once all operators are on board and fully support the service.

How RCS messaging works

Like iMessage found on Apple devices, RCS messaging allows you to start conversations with individuals or groups, share multimedia messages, including full resolution images, to be notified when someone responds to your texts and even see reading receipts like those from WhatsApp.

You can also see when the other person is online and available to chat, without any restrictions on the number of characters you can type. Unlike text messages that limit you to 160 characters, RCS offers up to 8,000 characters. You can therefore send even longer messages if you wish.

RCS messaging will standardize most of the functionality already enjoyed by Apple users on iMessage. This means that Android and iPhone users can send SMS or communicate with each other and use similar functionality regardless of the smartphone they are using, because the service depends on your data and not of your cellular connection.

Note: IOS devices currently do not support RCS, although iMessage has many features similar to the service and only works when communicating from one Apple device to another. However, Apple may support RCS in the future, except that the deployment schedule may not be certain at this time.

RCS messaging challenges

The main challenge, especially for privacy-conscious users, is that RCS messaging does not support end-to-end encryption like WhatsApp and other messaging apps.

This means that messages sent to and from it can easily be intercepted and read by online spies or unauthorized third parties. These messages are less secure than those sent and received via iMessage or Signal.

If security and privacy are your top priorities, you had better communicate with friends and family using other options.

How to activate RCS messaging on Android

There have been a few smart workarounds found to activate RCS messaging on their phones, although manually, but they don't work all the time.

However, if the RCS service is already on your Android phone, you can check if you have it by following these steps:

Step 1: Download and install Google Messages (Android Messages) from Google Play Store, if it is not already on your phone, then open the app. You'll get a prompt to set it as your default message app, or an option to skip the step, so tap Set as default.

2nd step: A pop-up message will appear telling you that you will not be able to use certain features of your phone's applications if you set Messages as the default messaging application. Press Yes to continue.

Step 3: The app will fill in and update all of your text messages. You'll also see a blue bubble titled Start Chat, which you can tap to start chatting with your contacts.

Step 4: Tap the three-dot icon at the top right of the screen.

Step 5: Tap Settings.

Step 6: Tap Chat Features. If it is not available immediately (depending on your phone), tap General> Chat Features.

Step 7: Toggle Enable chat features to On (blue).

Step 8: Type your phone number and wait for the status to change from Configuration to Connected (green).

You can now use the RCS messaging function and take advantage of all its features.

Note: If the person you're chatting with hasn't activated RCS on their phone, you won't be able to take advantage of all of its features. Likewise, if your phone does not display chat functionality, consult your mobile service provider or operator, as it is only available for certain devices, service providers and operators, including the platform. Jibe form of Google.

Do more with messages

Although RCS messaging is still not on the smartphone of all Android users, you can expect it to be fully deployed in 2020. If you are one of those who are still waiting for this exciting service and the great features it brings to your device, you can keep this information in mind while you wait so that you know what to do once it is activated on your phone.

Then: If you are using a Samsung device to send your messages, you have several options in addition to using the RCS service. Check out our comparison of native Samsung messages and Android messages and find out which one is the most exciting to use.