RCS is Really, Really Available to All US Users of Google Messages

We asked you the other day if RCS had changed your life and the responses have been fun to try and recap. We asked because RCS began rolling out in mid-November, so we assumed it had finished and that you all had time to play with it some. As it turns out, we were probably right. Google announced that as of Monday, RCS had fully rolled out in the US and was widely available.

Sanaz Ahari Lemelson, who leads Google’s communications suite of Messages, Duo, and Phone, took to the Tweets today to confirm the rollout. Lemelson notes that to make sure you have RCS, update both Messages and Carrier Services. If you have done that, opening Messages and checking for “Chat” features in settings should give you the magic.

I’d ask again if it has changed your life, but I think the general takeaway today is that it’s still so limited that the chances of you having an RCS or “Chat” conversation with someone are slim. Should you get an opportunity, people are loving the higher-res image sharing and the new blue bubble. For the most part, though, this isn’t a life-changing addition to tech, only an improvement.

With that said, if you want to experience “Chat” and RCS, tell the people you know to install Google Messages. They can all have it as long as they have an Android phone. Not only does it have RCS, it has sweet new spam protection too.

Google Play Links: Messages | Carrier Services