A number of weeks in the past, at MWC 2023, I had a possibility to sit down down with Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vp of Platforms and Ecosystems at Google, to speak about RCS messaging. Whereas there was not loads into the way forward for what Google is planning with Google Messages and RCS as a protocol, I did get look into how RCS got here to be and the way Google sees it.
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For some background, RCS was launched by the GSMA in 2008 because the successor to SMS. The GMSA is the International System for Cell Communications Affiliation, a gaggle with over 750 cellular operators and over 400 corporations within the cellular ecosystem. GSMA’s fundamental intention with it was for a contemporary communications protocol that didn’t run on voice networks, as a result of again then and to some extent now, SMS used the identical mobile channels as a cellphone name. It was and is wildly outdated, inefficient, and never safe. That’s why GSMA designed RCS, to switch the outdated platform.
A number of years after GSMA launched RCS (and as apps like WhatsApp took off), Lockheimer mentioned GSMA approached Google about the usual at MWC. Google, on investigating RCS, realized that the GSMA was proper, SMS was almost 20 years previous on the time and wanted to be modernized. This was earlier than iMessage was introduced – Apple had discovered the identical factor and determined to implement iMessage as their reply to the growing old protocol.
This was the beginning of RCS for Google and the Android group, however as Lockheimer mentioned, “It’s an extended sport, you realize, that is likely one of the learnings for positive that you need to keep on with it and type of preserve going.” He defined that though GSMA approached them about bringing help for RCS, carriers had totally different concepts of how they needed to implement RCS.
In spite of everything of this, 2015 got here round and there was nonetheless no cross-carrier messaging. As an alternative, it was restricted to solely carrier-to-carrier, like Verizon-to-Verizon, messaging and even particular gadgets utilizing particular apps, like Verizon’s Messages+. For instance, if you happen to had a Samsung cellphone from T-Cell, there was no assure it will work even with T-Cell. You would want particular telephones on particular firmware and there was no assure your folks would even have entry to those. In the event you determined to get an Unlocked cellphone moderately than by a provider, there was no option to entry RCS in any respect. Successfully, RCS was nugatory.
The turnaround level for RCS was with Common Profile. Common Profile was a set of primary RCS options that have been all supported in the identical manner by all carriers utilizing RCS. This included typing indicators, learn receipts, leaving group chats, lossless picture sharing, file switch, and extra. Common Profile meant that RCS would lastly develop into cross-carrier and feature-rich in a significant manner! Positive, some carriers rolled Common Profile out to sure LG and Samsung telephones by personalized apps over time, however nonetheless, Common Profile didn’t matter as a result of, as soon as once more, it was tough to know whether or not you or your contacts would have entry to it, and unimaginable to entry if you happen to didn’t purchase a cellphone by a provider.
As Lockheimer defined, Google realized it might speed up this, they needed to make it so customers might “get this expertise by downloading an app moderately than ready for one thing they couldn’t management to occur.” This was in 2019, when Google determined to roll out RCS Chat. This easy addition to Google’s Messages consumer allowed for any person to get entry to probably the most primary options of RCS with out counting on their provider to help Common Profile or gadget OEM to help RCS. Merely put, RCS began to reside as much as its potential.
Now, all of that’s historical past. It’s how RCS got here to be, fairly frankly, it doesn’t matter. What issues is the place it goes from right here. As of Google I/O final 12 months, Google’s RCS service had 500 million customers, a quantity Lockheimer mentioned is far greater now.
Google doesn’t wish to RCS to switch your different messaging apps
I wish to begin by quoting Google right here:
Our analysis exhibits that the standard particular person makes use of 3 to 4 messaging apps, whether or not that’s WhatsApp or Snap. That’s nice. We’re not making an attempt to construct RCS into the one app to rule all of them.
Hiroshi Lockheimer
One of many main feedback with RCS rolling out to extra customers, and pushing Apple to help it, is third social gathering apps. Why not simply set up WhatsApp or Telegram or Sign? Why do you want RCS? The standard particular person doesn’t, nevertheless it doesn’t harm for the default to be a bit of higher.
RCS on Android isn’t meant to switch the remainder of your apps. Sign continues to be the place you go if you happen to’re searching for extremely safe messages. Telegram and Discord are the place you go when searching for teams or to speak to your folks. WhatsApp, Fb Messenger, Snapchat, Instagram, that’s the place you go for family and friends. Google isn’t making an attempt to alter this; they don’t wish to change this; Hiroshi made that clear.
Each app has its function, and Google doesn’t suppose RCS will change that. Google simply needs one thing higher because the default.
The cynical case for why Google needs RCS to succeed
After talking to Google about RCS messaging, one factor turned clear: Google actually needs RCS to take off, outdoors of the Android platform. There are a whole lot of theories as to why Google may wish to push RCS and have it exchange SMS because the default on gadgets globally. Some have theorized that it’s to gather information, however end-to-end encryption being enabled by default makes that unlikely. Others have theorized that Google needs it so there’s one much less brick in Apple’s walled backyard, and that does make sense, to some extent.
RCS doesn’t require the utilization of each characteristic. Common Profile doesn’t require typing indicators, learn receipts, and so on. Apple, in the event that they wished, might decide and select which elements of RCS they might wish to implement. In the event that they needed so as to add simply end-to-end encryption and higher group chats, they may. This concept of breaking down the walled backyard falls aside when you concentrate on what Apple has the flexibility to do to take care of the walled backyard whereas additionally bettering safety and different experiences.
I consider this comes down to easily verified messages and RCS for enterprise. RCS for enterprise permits Google and different suppliers to promote companies entry to higher messaging with prospects. As a part of Jibe, Google makes use of RCS to supply wealthy commutations with prospects. This could possibly be, for instance, Greatest Purchase utilizing RCS to supply QR codes and the flexibility to ship if you’re there within the RCS chat.
Google sells this as a service to companies for B2C (enterprise to client) communications, so the extra gadgets, particularly when iPhone customers are, usually, keen to spend more cash by their cellphone, it turns into a neater promote to companies to put money into Google Jibe’s B2C communications companies. This together with all linking Google accounts to ship full decision pictures in Google Pictures,
Messaging is now not an Android downside, it’s an iPhone downside
Messaging is solved for Android customers. In the event you exit and purchase a brand new Android cellphone proper now, the default messaging consumer will probably be Google Messages with RCS chat. Even on older gadgets, all it takes is putting in an official Google app from the Play Retailer.
One of many huge takeaways I had from speaking with Lockheimer was fashionable messaging and the basics of RCS are solved on Android. Android customers globally have entry to RCS with one another. It’s peer-to-peer encrypted utilizing the Sign protocol, each individual to individual and in group chats (at the moment in beta) as much as 100 individuals.
The issues with SMS now not exist for the overwhelming majority of Android customers. The problem now’s for iPhone customers.
iPhone customers have iMessage – Android customers have RCS. The one manner for there to be native, cellphone quantity primarily based cross communications is with an outdated 20-year-old protocol. Photos look worse, video seems worse, group chats develop into a large number of delayed messages in teams you may by no means depart. Plain and easy, the expertise is the worst.
This protocol isn’t safe, which is necessary as a result of one of the crucial well-liked types of 2-factor authentication is thru a textual content message. RCS permits companies to make use of RCS Common Profile with the Sign protocol to encrypt these messages. This implies, theoretically, prospects utilizing two-factor with Android might have extra safety than iPhone customers. Realistically, this hasn’t rolled out but and sure received’t till it’s definitely worth the funding, like it will be if iOS supported RCS.
As Hiroshi mentioned:
Because you talked about Apple, I’ll simply point out, they discuss how privateness is a human proper and the way necessary that’s to them. I really feel like, “look right here’s a know-how that’s accessible now…” Now I simply really feel dangerous for the iPhone customers who’re going to expertise the degraded options, it will be nice if they may carry that to them. And higher safety for them as properly. Android customers are superb, they’re texting one another with whole safety and all that stuff, and now it’s type of weird as a result of now after they work together with iPhone’s we’re going to should cope with a degraded safety expertise.
He’s proper. There’s loads to the RCS debate and whether or not Apple ought to help it, many tech fans and people within the trade point out the horrendous expertise up till just lately as the premise for why they shouldn’t, however as I mentioned earlier, that’s all historical past. The way it occurred doesn’t matter, what issues is how they proceed. No one is asking for all of Apple’s apps on Android – they’ll preserve that. What Google needs, what customers need, and what I would like is straightforward: One thing higher and safer than SMS.
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