RCS means Rich Communications Service. It is expected to take over from the native SMS/MMS on Android. We all know that SMS text messages on Android are limited in many aspects; you can’t send emojis, there’s no read notification (read receipts), and many other features. This is quite unlike iMessage on iPhones. Google, on its side, has been on a project for quite a long time now to provide more features to Android users. Right now, Google has started rolling out the RCS messaging platform so that Android smartphone users can enjoy new messaging features. Google messages also have a web version like Whatsapp Web. So, You can access your messages through your PC/Laptop.
The origin of RCS
Rich Communications Service is not a new protocol; in fact, it has been around since 2007. However, in 2016, GSMA (the parent company) reached an agreement on a Universal Profile to allow all mobile OEMs, as well as operators and software providers to use the protocol on their devices. RCS is making waves because it makes messaging more interesting like you’re chatting on WhatsApp, FB messenger, and the likes.
RCS will gradually become a significant rival to iMessage by Apple, notwithstanding that the two services do not operate similarly.
Why is RCS replacing SMS/MMS?
No one can send rich messages via SMS; neither is it possible to make video chats from SMS messaging apps. However, the RCS protocol will allow Android users to send voice notes, videos, photos, and rich messages to one another. Doesn’t this sound interesting, that Android users’ can now make video calls directly from their native messaging apps and not IMs?
More exciting things that the RCS implementation will bring includes to read receipts, the ability to see when the other person is typing a message, send group messages, and many more. RCS is turning your messaging app to an instant messenger, or rather, a somewhat social media platform.
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Furthermore, a lot of people (if not everyone) will love that RCS will lift the 160 character limit. Android users can now send messages of more than 160 characters. A lot of things will be possible with this Android innovation; your Android device will now send messages like Apple iPhones and iPad.
While you should be happy about this RCS stuff, you should also be concerned about how secure the protocol is. Well, this protocol has client-to-server encryption, and it filters out spam messages so that you won’t get any of them. More interestingly, any company that wishes to utilize RCS as its means of sending messages, the company must go through a verification process. After the company has passed the verification process, it can now utilize this new feature for sending messages. Also, messages sent by verified companies will flaunt the company’s name instead of a mobile number.
Quite sad to say, in as much as RCS messaging will offer the same features we see on WhatsApp messenger, it is not end-to-end encrypted like WhatsApp. It uses TLS Encryption like https.
RCS messaging on Android
While RCS messaging is not entirely out for all Android users, some guys have discovered the trick to activate this protocol on your Android device. However, this trick also works on some devices and not all.
Also, this trick seems reliant on Google’s implementation. A user on Reddit shared the method, and quite a lot of people have attested to its efficiency. According to reports, this trick was able to activate RCS on devices with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint in the US. Plus, there have been reports of the authenticity of this trick on devices with other carriers.
Things to note:
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It does not support dual sim
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It works on all smartphones that run the latest version of the Android Messages App (the beta version).
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This trick to activate RCS messaging works on any carrier which supports this feature.
Steps to activate RCS
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Make sure you sign up to use the Beta version of Google’s messaging app for Android
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Go to your device settings >>> app >>> look for the messaging app and click on it, further click on storage and clear the app’s data.
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After clearing the app’s data, go to the play store and download/install Activity Launcher.
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Launch Activity Launcher on your phone
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Tap ‘Recent Activities,’ and choose ‘All Activities.’
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Scroll down to ‘Android Messages,’ tap on it and look out for ‘Set RCS Flags’ in the options (com.google.android.apps.messaging.ui.appsettings.rcs.overrides.OverrideFlagsActivity).
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Inside the “Set RCS Flags” option, configure the following:
- Click on ‘ACS Url’ and select ‘https://rcs-acs-prod-us.sandbox.google.com/.
- Set OTP pattern to Your\sMessenger\sverification\scode\sis\sG-(\d{6}).”
- Go back to your device settings >>> apps >>> look for carrier services and clear the data.
- Also, force the Android Messages apps to stop: go to settings >>> apps >>> messages >>> force stop.
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Now launch the messages app and follow the prompts to upgrade and activate RCS messaging on your Android device.
If you seem confused about these steps discussed above, then try to watch the YouTube video in the source.
FAQ
Below I mentioned some frequent questions asked by our friends. I think that will help you too.
When will RCS messaging roll out for all users officially?
Very soon, it will be officially out, hopefully, as an update to Google “Messages” app. Interestingly, a lot of carriers support this protocol.
Is RCS better than Apple’s iMessage?
Everything works gradually, with many companies, carriers, OEMs, software providers, etc. supporting the RCS protocol; it may just grow to beat Apple’s iMessage, just like Android is seen as a better OS than iOS. We’ll keep you updated about the RCS development.
What more?
With the steps discussed above, you can activate RCS messaging on any smartphone irrespective of the brand or carrier. This will now allow you to enjoy all the cool features available with RCS messaging. However, RCS needs data to send messages, unlike SMS, that goes with network charges. Nevertheless, hopefully, in the nearest future, RCS may have to start working fully, just like SMS. But, It is better SMS messaging. You can also try iMessage on Android using macOS.
A summary of what you need to get this work is the Google “Messages” app for Android and “Activity Launcher.”
OnePlus users, Samsung users, Pixels users, and many other people have confirmed that these steps above helped them to activate RCS on their Android devices; it should work for you too. If you face any problem or suggestions, comment below.
Selva Ganesh is the Chief Editor of this Blog. He is a Computer Science Engineer, An experienced Android Developer, Professional Blogger with 8+ years in the field. He completed courses about Google News Initiative. He runs Android Infotech which offers Problem Solving Articles around the globe.
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