Google Messages will soon offer end-to-end encryption on its RCS Group chats to enhance data privacy.
The feature is currently available only to beta testers.
There is no indication regarding when the feature will be available for the masses.
It’s fair to say that very few of us now rely on SMS as a form of communication, thanks to free services like Whatsapp, Facebook Messages, and even Instagram DMs making it easier to communicate with friends and family. In light of this, Google Messages is working on bringing RCS group chats with end-to-end encryption to give users an alternate mode of communication. This recent update makes the Google Messaging platform even more secure for the end user.
RCS stands for Rich Communication Services and is basically a messaging system that is considered richer than traditional SMS, and offers features like in-call multimedia transmission and phonebook polling. The end-to-end encryption should help users rest assured knowing that their data is protected and won’t be read by carriers or even Google itself. It’s a feature that Whatsapp has been aggressively advertising for a while now.
Google Messages RCS group chats
Google stated that this feature will be “available to some users in the open beta program over the coming weeks,”.The tech giant has also talked about how they will allow users to react to RCS messages using any emoji, which is a feature that went into testing a while ago.
Interestingly, Apple is not open to adopting RCS messaging. Google took a dig at this when speaking about their own endeavors to bring this messaging style to Google Messages, saying “all of the major mobile carriers and manufacturers have adopted RCS as the standard – except for Apple,”
Other Google updates
Google has been working to bring new Android updates for December, with its Accessible Reader Mode being one of the more significant changes that have been announced. This will allow users with visual impairments or Dyslexia to access written content on their smartphone, thanks to its text-to-speech feature and the ability to change the font and contrast.
Other updates include sharing digital car keys, Tiles for WearOS, and even a few new features for the Google PlayStore app.
For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
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Kajoli Anand Puri
Kajoli is a tech-enthusiast with a soft-spot for smart kitchen and home appliances. She loves exploring gadgets and gizmos that are designed to make life simpler, but also secretly fears a world run by AI. Oh wait, we’re already there. View Full Profile
