I debated with many friends and colleagues, fiercely defending Google Messages, even though it clearly wasn’t the best option on the market.
It’s a long story, but if I have to keep it short, its simplicity and RCS support are two of the main reasons I always choose Messages over anything else.
I don’t see its simplicity going anywhere, but I’m worried about RCS in Messages. I don’t see RCS disappearing from the app, but I fear the experience may get worse in the coming days, which could make me quit it altogether.
I’ll blame Google for this. The Mountain View tech giant has recently made a bizarre decision that certainly feels like a downgrade to me and could make Messages much worse. I hated it when I first learned about it, and here is why.
RCS 4.0 will solve one of Android messaging’s biggest problems
Not all SMS apps support RCS. If it hadn’t been the case, I’d have stuck with Microsoft’s SMS Organizer and never switched to the Messages app. But RCS support is one thing, and keeping it working smoothly is another.
While Messages supports RCS, the implementation can turn many people away. Most of my friends had a terrible experience setting it up, and some eventually gave up after trying several times.
My partner also faced issues while activating it. After enabling RCS, the app kept showing that it was trying to connect, and it went on for several weeks. It finally prompted her to seek my help.
My trick worked instantly, and she got it working. I told her to clear the app data, and it fixed the RCS issue immediately. After seeing so many people in my friends and family circle complaining, I searched online and found similar complaints about RCS in Google Messages.
Fortunately, I have never faced anything like this, and RCS in Messages has been seamless. However, this doesn’t make RCS in Google Messages immune to criticism.
While I love that I never faced issues, I can’t see the unevenness in the experience. Maybe I will face the same issues many people faced when I change my phone.
I’m not worried about this, as I have the remedies to fix them. My concern is what Google seems to be planning for RCS messages in the future.
If the existing issues were bad enough for Google, the company is knowingly or unknowingly making the experience worse by denying users a handy RCS feature.
This isn’t my assumption.
According to Android Authority‘s APK teardown of version messages.android_20261002_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic of Google Messages, Google is working towards removing the ability to force the Messages app to disable RCS for specific contacts.
You get everything, or you get none. This all-or-nothing approach isn’t always bad, but it isn’t the right way to handle messages. I feel so strongly about its looming exclusion because it’s one of my favorite ways to prevent spam messages.
You can shut up someone or a business in your inbox with a few taps, but for some reason, Google seems to think that the “Only send SMS and MMS messages” toggle isn’t worth it.
I don’t think a company like Google can be so naive about what the removal will lead to. This brings me to the next logical question: why would it want to do it?
Google hasn’t said anything about this potential removal, but it seems clear the company wants RCS to become the default for every conversation.
While I appreciate all the effort Google put into positioning RCS as the true successor to SMS, its latest plan feels disturbingly anti-consumer. I’m afraid this will push more people away from fully embracing RCS.
It’s too early to say whether this will make me quit Google Messages or disable RCS altogether, but I’ve never been this confused about my loyalty to it. I’ll know when the toggle disappears from the Messages app.
I’m an optimist. Although the APK teardown made Google’s true intentions regarding the toggle abundantly clear, I’m hoping for a change of heart down the line.
There is also a possibility of a course correction after the removal. But if that happens, I wouldn’t want Google to reinstate that toggle to the place it currently belongs: I would want a switch within the chat window.
This could be Google’s long-term plan, and we’ve only seen one half of it. Google better go this route, or it risks making RCS in Messagesworse.
We want to hear from you. Share your perspective in the comments below, and please keep the conversation respectful.
Your comment has not been saved
“While I appreciate all the effort Google put into positioning RCS as the true successor to SMS, its latest plan feels disturbingly anti-consumer. I’m afraid this will push more people away from fully embracing RCS.” Apple makes moves like this all the time to eliminate older tech they no longer want to use like when they abandoned x86 and Intel and went completely over to ARM or when they abandoned 32bit applications for 64bit applications and while there was some small grumbling everyone just said oh well we are going to support apple on their decision no matter what they do. We really need to phase out the outdated and horribly insecure by cyber security standards SMS already. It’s time is done. RCS and whatever else it morphs into in later is the present and future it’s about time we push all companies to finally get on one standard again making things better for everyone long term.
The best of Android Police, directly in your inbox.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.