Google announced on Tuesday that it is strengthening RCS, or Rich Communication Services, to make its Messages by Google app more secure.
This is intended to replace SMS and is more on par with Apple’s iMessage’s sophisticated capabilities.
According to the company, RCS will now be the default for both new and current users of the Messages app.
In addition, all RCS users have now completely adopted end-to-end encryption for group chats.
Unless a user had previously turned off RCS in their Settings, Google stated the feature will now be enabled by default for all users.
After Tuesday’s launch, users will still be able to opt out by turning RCS off in Settings, according to a help page.
Users that have RCS enabled can use more sophisticated messaging capabilities like end-to-end encryption, high-resolution photo and video sharing, typing indicators, read receipts, and the ability to send messages over both mobile data and Wi-Fi.
