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Google has announced new features for Messages, Android’s answer to Apple IMessage. In a blog post, the search giant said it had completed the global launch of Messages, its messaging app for Android The telephones. “Today, we have completed our global implementation of chat features to make this modern messaging experience universal and interconnected for everyone on Android. Now, anyone using Messages around the world has access to modern chat features from either your provider or directly from Google. ” the company said.
To mark global availability, Google also announced the beta release of end-to-end encryption for Android messages that start with one-to-one conversations. The feature will be available to beta testers, who can register later this month.
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) means that no one other than the sender and recipient can read the chat messages. Google cannot read messages in transit either. The company is said to be using Signal Protocol. The E2EE function is not currently available for SMS / MMS or group messages.
Apple iMessages also support end-to-end encryption.
For the past few years, Google has been working to provide chat capabilities in Messages based on the open Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard. These chat features enhance SMS text messaging with the goal of enhancing the user experience and making it more interactive and engaging. RCS messaging allows Android users to send and receive better quality photos and videos, chat over Wi-Fi or data, get read receipts, share reactions, and more.
Users in countries, including India, where RCS has recently been deployed, will see a banner when they open the app that explains how the feature works and how they can now enable it. The feature can also reportedly be activated through the Messages settings in case a user dismisses the popup initially.
