Main topic: Google announces end-to-end encryption for group chats in its Android and Wear OS Messages app.
Key points:
1. All group chats with RCS enabled now have end-to-end encryption by default.
2. RCS will be enabled by default for new and existing users, unless they have previously switched it off.
3. E2EE is available for group chats, but compatibility is limited to Android and iOS users, unless a third-party app like Signal is used.
Google Messages is set to introduce improved multi-device support, allowing users to use one phone number for RCS and SMS messages on multiple devices, similar to WhatsApp's native app experience.
Google has released a snarky ad called "iPager" to criticize Apple's messaging platform, highlighting the disadvantages of using outdated SMS technology and the lack of encryption when texting across operating systems.
Google continues its marketing campaign to persuade Apple to adopt the RCS messaging protocol, highlighting the issues caused by Apple's use of the older SMS protocol in its latest ad. Despite Google's efforts, Apple has shown no interest in implementing RCS.
T-Mobile has announced that its RCS messaging offering is now powered by Google's Jibe platform, allowing customers to enjoy an upgraded messaging experience with new features instantly and improved interoperability across carriers.
Google has released a video featuring the iPager, a fictional gadget representing Apple's resistance to adopting RCS messaging, highlighting issues like lack of encryption, broken group chats, pixelated videos, and the green bubble associated with Apple's iMessage, as it is not currently on the European Commission's list of gatekeeper services.
Samsung has released an ad urging Apple to adopt the Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging standard, a campaign that Google has also been pushing for.
Samsung has released an ad urging Apple to adopt the Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging standard that Google has been promoting, highlighting the issues Android and iPhone users face when texting each other.
Samsung has released a new ad as part of Google's "Get The Message" campaign, criticizing Apple for not adopting RCS, an open messaging standard, with the ad playing on the Romeo and Juliet story to highlight the divide between iPhone and Android users.
Samsung has released a video supporting Google's #GetTheMessage campaign, urging Apple to adopt RCS or "Rich Communication Services" to end the two-class messaging system between iPhone and Android users.
Samsung has released a video as part of its "Get The Message" campaign, which takes a humorous dig at Apple's lack of support for RCS, arguing that the different color bubbles for Android and iPhone users is a result of Apple's refusal to adopt the modern messaging technology.
Google and Samsung are pressuring Apple to adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS) for iMessage, in an attempt to provide better cross-platform messaging for Android users, but Apple is unlikely to make the change due to the popularity of iMessage keeping users locked into its ecosystem.
Google is using the Play Store to promote RCS to Apple users in an attempt to sway their perception and potentially influence Apple to adopt the messaging standard, which offers upgrades like end-to-end encryption and group chats.
