One month after pledging to push RCS messaging to all Android users in the U.S., Google says that its rollout is complete.
RCS messaging is now available to all Android users in the U.S. That's according to Sanaz Ahari, Senior Director of Product & Design at Google and lead for the company's communications suite, which includes Messages, Duo, and Phone.
To ensure that you're able to get RCS, you should be on the latest versions of the Messages app and Carrier Services.
Hi everyone! RCS is now available to all users in US as of Monday. Make sure to update both Messages and Carrier Services.
— Sanaz (@sanazahari) December 12, 2019
RCS stands for Rich Communication Services, often referred to as "Chat" by Google, is an upgraded version of the SMS text messaging that most folks are used to. RCS includes benefits like typing indicators and read receipts, better group chat like the ability to name groups, and support for chatting over Wi-Fi as well as mobile data. It also supports sending and receiving higher-quality photos and videos.
Google first talked about enabling RCS inside its Messages app for Android in April 2018. Fast-forward more than a year-and-a-half and Google has accomplished its goal, which is notable because RCS will improve the texting experience for a lot of people even if they don't notice it or know what "RCS" is.
Have you been using RCS in Messages? How has your experience been?