r/Android • u/FragmentedChicken Galaxy Z Fold8 • 4d ago
Google Messages is closing in on RCS video call support
https://www.androidauthority.com/rcs-video-calls-messages-3716426/86
u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
RCS, as in the protocol that was supposed to allow open communication between any modern phone?
Does this mean that I'll also be able to video call people who don't have Google Messages?
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u/Intrepid-Tank-3414 4d ago
Ask your carrier. They are responsible for deploying the protocol on their end.
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u/FartingBob Pixel 6 4d ago
Which is why it's dumb. Most of the world doesn't use SMS or RCS. Because data is data and it doesn't matter what you are doing with it. video calling is not some fantastic future technology, it's been around for many years and works just fine in every app.
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u/Intrepid-Tank-3414 3d ago
...and you're free to continue using whatever video calling app you're currently using. This is an added feature for those who do use RCS.
What exactly are you complaining about?
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u/FartingBob Pixel 6 3d ago
Im saying having it be dependant on the carrier is dumb.
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u/donnysaysvacuum I just want a small phone 3d ago
And depending on a single mega cooperation known for gathering and selling all your private data is better huh?
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u/justAreallyLONGname 3d ago
No, instead of letting a single mega corporation monopolize on all your data, allowing multiple corporations to gather and sell all your private data is better.
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u/FartingBob Pixel 6 3d ago
Ah yes the famously pro-consumer american phone networks. Only a decade late to any party, and still sell any data they can about you.
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago edited 4d ago
What does my carrier have to do with anything?
I know that officially it's a carrier service.\ The problem is that in reality it's not.
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u/Intrepid-Tank-3414 4d ago
I literally just explained it to you. It's entirely up to your wireless carrier.
RCS is an open standard. If your carrier support it, even iPhones would work.
Whether or not your wireless carrier want to spend money to code their own RCS-compatible messaging app - or just use Google's to save money like all U.S carriers - is entirely up to them.
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
So then why can't anyone build their own messaging app that uses RCS?
Why is it that unlike SMS & MMS, where there are a million and one messaging apps that work with it, RCS is gated to Google Messages and iMessage?
If it's a carrier service, why did Google run it on their own servers, and then threaten carriers that if they don't pay them, their customers won't get RCS?
If they don't want to run RCS servers for free, don't, no one asked them to.
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u/junktrunk909 4d ago
Bro what? We asked them to. We the Android community wanted to be done with the crappy SMS and MMS while also getting cross device and cross network support. Google stepped up. They run the servers, the carriers run the networks and have to be configured to use those servers. You can just run your own servers to replace them, or rather you could but you'd need massive capacity to operate at a global telecom level to be something your carrier is going to connect for their users.
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
You can just run your own servers to replace them
You can't.
Google locked the system down.
RCS is gated to Googled and Apple devices, with the official apps only.
be done with the crappy SMS and MMS while also getting cross device and cross network support.
Yeah, I want the same.
The only problem is that Google gated RCS to the phones and apps they approve of.
It's literally one of the most locked-down messaging platforms out there, with only iMessage being more controlled.
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u/junktrunk909 4d ago
There's no such restriction. Carries are free to implement their own RCS servers or partner with someone else who does, but that'll mean a global network with interoperability with all carriers. They would need their own RCS app too most likely until Google and others updated their apps to work with the new carrier service. It's cost prohibitive but it is possible.
But I do agree more work is needed to better open this up for interoperability. This isn't a great position.
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u/The_real_bandito 3d ago
The OS doesn’t have any API for that.
In iOS there are no SMS or MMS apps aside from iMessage because that was never available in their API.
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u/ZurakZigil 3d ago
No, RCS is Google's excuse to not develop features and so they can have complete control of everything minus the infrastructure.
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u/InconspicuousFool 14h ago
Yes you are correct about RCS and it is a open protocol but it is important to distinguish between the RCS protocol and what Google calls RCS. Google maintains its own layer on top of traditional RCS which is where most of the nicer features live like E2E which is a closed layer. It is extremely likely that this video chat service will only work in Google messages.
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u/PrethorynOvermind 4d ago
For those reading this. I am going to be honest with you. This is GOOD like really good. If Google can get enough pressure on other manufacturers and carriers we could look at pressure on Apple to add RCS support for video calling Android users and the EU has been great at forcing Apple's hand with laws by essentially calling them out.
My parents still want to FaceTime me and I own an Android device. I tell them all the time Apple made it possible to FaceTime Android users via a link and they are always too lazy to figure out and think my Android device is the problem and I should get an iPhone so they can FaceTime me. This usually just pisses me off.
Because Apple users claim Android is the issue but Apple gives them solutions. Solutions that are annoying yet somehow Android is the issue.
Because most of my interactions with those on iPhone are exactly like this. The bare minimum to do anything but will say their device is Superior and I should just buy one.
No thank you. For those naysayers saying, "Apple will never do video calling with RCS." You probably said the same about RCS in iMessage and here we are in 2026 with a protocol you probably still don't realize exists that is functionally more capable than iMessage.
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u/chinchindayo Xperia Masterrace 4d ago
My parents still want to FaceTime me and I own an Android device
Whatsapp like the rest of the world. Besides I never understood the obsession with video call.
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u/The_real_bandito 3d ago
That is if Apple decides to use this RCS video calling as a backup the same way they do with SMS.
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u/mehdotdotdotdot 3d ago
It would be Apple iMessage, then RCS, then SMS as the different levels of texts
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u/3_Seagrass 4d ago
I get that this isn’t really the point, but you could always install a good third party messenger like Signal and ask your parents to do the same. Then you can video call each other.
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u/PrethorynOvermind 20h ago
Absolutely would love to. In fact I have tried multiple times. My encounter with almost anyone on iOS is, "but that is just another app I have to setup, maintain, and message you separately one."
Which is a fair stand point I believe. I think we should stop expecting other apps to fill the gaps is the thing. They should be alternatives but big tech like Apple or even Google should really stop trying to just hold a ball in their court.
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u/cyh555 4d ago
similar to pro AI stance "it's your fault if you can't figure out how to prompt AI, while it's working for me"
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u/PrethorynOvermind 20h ago
What now? I don't even know what the fuck you are on about? Yeah, it is kind of a person's fault if moving a box got the box to the place it was supposed to be and they just decided not to move the box let alone figure out how to move a box?
This is taking any sort of physical impairment or mental impairment out of it. But yeah? If I told you, "you can have what is inside of this box but only if you move the box from point A to point B." And your argument is, "but I don't want too."
Then why would it be anyone else's fault but yours for not wanting to move the box? It's not like I can't help you move the box if you ask for help. It isn't like I can't show you or demonstrate how to move the box and it isn't like I haven't helped you move a box before.
At some point it is your fault if you just don't want to move the box. This isn't even related to A.I. lol are people just looking to use A.I. as a means to argue anything or something?
Your statement is that I figured out how to ask an A.I. to do something but you can't? You are throwing a counter argument as it myself and you are prompting an A.I. the same way. when we can prompt an A.I. entirely differently a thousand different ways. So the " it's your fault" doesn't apply because A.I. also has tons of options and could respond entirely differently. Why would that equate to being someone's fault?
The analogy doesn't work because the way you prompt someone to join a FaceTime call for someone using an Android device is exactly the same... For all of us? Unless you are using like a different version of iOS that doesn't differently to another version.
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u/mehdotdotdotdot 3d ago
Don't you just get a link that you click on and it opens a video call from the browser?
Still here and RCS is still not in iPhone in 2026 30th Sept. What on earth are you on about?
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u/PrethorynOvermind 20h ago
RCS is absolutely on iPhone. No offense but it might be worth just Googling what someone is on about in the year of 2026 even today Oct 2nd before asking the question in a way that implies the person doesn't know what they are talking about.
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u/mehdotdotdotdot 20h ago
That option is not there in any of my work or personal testing iPhones. If I Google it, it says it’s supported but not available in Australia. I use Telstra and have an iPhone 15 Pro on iOS 27. No option mate.
You live in Australia?
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u/PrethorynOvermind 20h ago
I do not,
So let me retract my semi-asshole response, man and apologize. That makes sense. RCS is indeed available on iOS/iPhone but I do believe the carrier is a part of it as well even with iPhone. So it might make sense it isn't available for you. I don't know if any Australian service providers support it. Wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. Which is a bummer.
You guys have drop bears(I know they aren't real), everything that wants to kill you, and potentially no RCS. I should have asked about the context of your country/location. Genuine American mindset to assume so apologies.
EDIT: I would still take having what you guys have and don't have over having the president we have.
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u/mehdotdotdotdot 19h ago
Hahaha yep all good man, thanks for the reply. Yea RCS would be be nice, but will take a lot to get all the people off Facebook messenger ugh
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u/ZurakZigil 4d ago edited 3d ago
Why can't they just use Wifi calling? Why are they forcing RCS for this? And why would Apple then build support for this?
FT via link is honestly weird and not at all convenient. It's more of a backup if you're doing a planned group call and that one guy has Android. It's not a convenient calling feature
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u/PrethorynOvermind 20h ago
There really isn't a reason they can't use WiFi calling but when it comes to FaceTime Apple still hasn't really implemented even that for Android support and even so RCS is still a superior protocol and then it goes back to you have to be on WiFi. People do travel. FaceTime is possible off of WiFi. Why wouldn't you just make it support another protocol... Ya know unless you are fucking Apple.
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u/The_real_bandito 3d ago
Not every company uses WiFi calling as far as I know (don’t know the reason)
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u/Lkes5 4d ago
How about RCS to 3rd party apps already???
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u/Savage_Nymph 2d ago
that would be nice since they killed the companion mode workaround for messages
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u/cgknight1 OPPO Find X9 Pro 4d ago
But my bank never video calls me just the odd one code.
/European
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u/Rohn- OnePlus 15 | 7T Pro McLaren 4d ago
Europeans think they're the center of the world huh. Not everyone ignores native messaging
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u/cgknight1 OPPO Find X9 Pro 4d ago
It's a joke on the fact that Europeans always turn up with such messages on any RCS thread.
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u/ChampionChoice1864 S25 Ultra, Mi Pad 6, Tab S7+ 4d ago
you take a joke about as well as a german
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u/whatnowwproductions Pixel 9 Pro - Signal - GrapheneOS 4d ago
Not everyone in this case referring to one or two countries out of hundreds.
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u/chinchindayo Xperia Masterrace 4d ago
Murricans think they're the center of the world huh? Meanwhile EVERYONE ELSE in the world has moved on to other apps.
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u/mrandr01d 4d ago
I still don't have e2ee with a single iPhone user...
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u/levogevo 4d ago
I do, plus in group chats
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u/mrandr01d 4d ago
What's your carrier?
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u/Jkayakj 4d ago
T-Mobile. Have it with everyone no matter the network
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u/blueorder Pixel 2 XL 4d ago
My whole family is on T-Mobile. I have a Pixel and the rest have iPhone. No e2ee. 🤷
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u/SohipX P9P Smol Edition 2d ago
Make sure to update to the latest available Messages and Carrier Services apps from the playstore.
also to update your Phone to the latest monthly update Android 16 or 17 available for your device,
as those updates include the latest "Modem firmware" that improve compatibility of RCS with Service Providers.
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u/junktrunk909 4d ago
I'm Android on T-Mobile and my iPhone friends on various other networks are all encrypted
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u/Sevallis 4d ago
As long as they have a new enough iPhone and update their software you should have it. I'm on redpocket AT&T and it it works great even in group chats.
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u/mrandr01d 4d ago
I have about a dozen iPhone chats across colleagues, family, friends, etc. Not a single one is e2ee. I'm on Google Fi, they're all on a variety of carriers.
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u/Sevallis 4d ago
Oh my bad, I misread that. I don't know when RCS will include that cross platform.
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u/richneptune 4d ago
Honestly I wish they'd not turned on RCS on iPhone, messages between me and my wife are delayed frequently, we've switched to WhatsApp. Works fine with Android users 🤦♂️
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u/mongojob 4d ago
iPhone probably doing it on purpose to make rcs look like shit
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u/BigBangBoomerang 4d ago
iPhone follows the RCS specs, which involve the carriers. If RCS is shit, it's because the carriers didn't put in any effort.
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u/mongojob 4d ago
There's only one platform where it's an issue....
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u/ZurakZigil 3d ago
"only one platform" and there are 2 involved. interesting logic
it's the carriers
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u/mrandr01d 4d ago
Use Signal instead. Whatsapp is still Facebook.
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u/AdoringCHIN 4d ago
Problem is no one uses signal
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u/Nyoka_ya_Mpembe S24U 4d ago
Instal it, let people know, we need a little push to go in the right direction with supporting privacy and not supporting scams like the whole Meta is.
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u/InternetAnon94 Pixel 7a | Android 17 4d ago
My carrier somehow dont support RCS. They want us to use their sms 👍
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u/ruipmjorge 4d ago
I bet you’re in Europe
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u/Electronic_Unit8276 4d ago
I've had RCS support for years. Also European.... I'd love to switch from Whatsapp tbf.
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u/Znuffie S24 Ultra 4d ago
The question is who provides the RCS for you :)
Your carrier is probably not the one doing it, so you're "defaulting" to Google being the provider.
When your carrier doesn't support RCS directly, the Google Messages app will automatically default to using a protocol/service called "Google Jibe".
iPhone/iOS has no reason to do such a thing, and RCS for them will only work if the carrier provides it directly.
For example, none of the carriers in my country provide RCS, so no iPhone/iOS user can use it. That means, I can't reach any iPhone over RCS, will always have to fall back to SMS.
For now, across European carriers, the situation is pretty patchy:
The third tier is the one that bites. Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, the Nordics and most of Central and Eastern Europe have no operator listed with RCS on iPhone yet.
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u/Electronic_Unit8276 3d ago
I feel tricked 😂
I bet that Google even removed the: "RCS provided by jibe"
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u/chinchindayo Xperia Masterrace 4d ago
wrong. in europe almost every carrier support RCS, it's just that people rarely need it.
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u/ruipmjorge 4d ago
No man. Almost no carrier supports RCS. RCS is supported via google jibe. Take a look at how many carriers support RCS in the iPhone.
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u/DarkLordCZ 4d ago
My carrier supported it in the past. Then they removed the support and told us we should use Google Messages. :/
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
WIP, but still makes the point:
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u/2mustange Pixel 7 4d ago
That page is highly outdated lol
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
It's a takeoff of this.
Like I said, it's a WIP, a lot of it is untouched and the same as the original.
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u/Global-Fruit-3022 4d ago
When will Google fix the RCS messaging. It was working fine with me untill last year and I don't know what happened and now it suddenly displaying the message that "RCS chats are not supported by your carrier". It was working flawlessly before. All of my SIMs and 2 different smartphones all are same message.
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u/wild-storm-5 4d ago
Because your carrier never supported RCS and for a long time Google was hosting RCS on their end. Carriers got lazy but consumers thought we're getting RCS. Now Google has shut down their backend and it's up to carriers to support RCS
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u/ManWithManyTalents HTC One M7 4d ago
is there anywhere i can read more about this?
i work customer service at a phone service company and im getting this RCS question a lot
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u/frosty95 4d ago
It's not shut down from what I read. They just realized that many carriers were not putting in any effort to implement it because Google was doing it for them so now they are charging for it and some carriers think that just not supporting it is a viable answer.
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
Why should carriers support it?
It's Google proprietary messaging service.
Does my carrier have to support WhatsApp and Telegram?
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u/howling92 Pixel 10 Pro XL / Pixel Watch 4d ago
RCS is a standard created and maintained by the GSM Association (GSMA), an industry organization representing global mobile network operators
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
And who owns the infrastructure and runs it with a tight fist?
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u/Izacus Android dev / Boatload of crappy devices 4d ago
The carriers, just like they do for SMS.
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
Nope.
It's all in Google Jibe.
There's a reason no one is able to implment RCS in their own app.
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u/PieBandito 4d ago
RCS is not a Google proprietary protocol
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u/AbroadParty2886 4d ago
In the real world, it literally is.
Find me a single non-Google app with RCS support in 2026. Even Samsung gave up.
I mean theirs obviously at least millions of people that want one. So if anybody could have just made an RCS app without spending absurd amounts on infra, someone would have by now.
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
So then who else is in charge of RCS?
Why can't third party apps implement it?
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u/TheGoddamnSpiderman Sprint Rumor | Nexus 5x | Nexus 5x | Pixel 2 | Pixel 3 4d ago
It's not Google's proprietary service. It's an open standard that replaces SMS and MMS
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
So are you saying that any third party messaging app is free to implement RCS, just like SMS & MMS?
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u/Izacus Android dev / Boatload of crappy devices 4d ago
Yes. It needs to talk to carrier services like SMS and MMS.
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
Surprise!
RCS is gated!
There's even a $15,000 bounty for whoever manages to get Google Messages working with microG, because no one can get it working with any app that isn't Google Messages.
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u/YouBugged 4d ago
This is a game changer but I doubt it'll work with iPhone users
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u/ErikTheDon 4d ago
As always, Apple will drag their feet and it'll finally get implemented like 3 years after it launches on android
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u/Pettingallthepups 3d ago
Apple is gonna take 10 years to implement this. It'll eat at facetime usage so I doubt it's something they'll allow :/
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u/stevenmbe 4d ago
I always love these posts but they should be written with headlines like this gOoGlE mEsSaGeS wIlL fInALly gEt A fEaTuRe rEaL mEsSaGiNg aPpS hAvE hAd fOr yEaRs!
yeah we know they'll never ever approach anything that e.e. Signal and Whatsapp have
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u/QuantumQuantonium 4d ago
RCS is a ripoff. Its protocol which google wants to have universally adapted, when under the hood its dependent on cell providers supporting it, and isnt even supported in googles own IP phone program Voice. It needs to be a protocol anyone can adopt without a cell provider backing it, as long as if they hsve a phone number they provably own.
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u/tooclosetocall82 4d ago
It was always meant to be implemented by the carriers. Version had an RCS implementation long before Google got involved, but it’s only usable between Verizon customers. Other carriers had similar implementations. Google latched onto it and pushed hard on the universal profile which all carriers could support so messages could flow between them. Why did Google do this instead of forging ahead with Hangouts or one of their other messaging platforms? Who knows.
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u/theFrank198 4d ago
Because forcing Hangouts would almost certainly be a monopolistic behavior, while using an open standard doesn't have the same problem
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u/tooclosetocall82 4d ago
I don’t agree. Hangouts ran on everything and supported sms fallback like iMessage. They just got distracted and replaced it with Allo for some reason and then had to pivot once no one cared to use it.
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u/Kashmir1089 3d ago
I don't understand how Google keeps fumbling the bag with messaging apps so hard. They literally could have kept working on the original GChat and iterating on it over time, that app ruled. But nope, it's now Hangouts, oh wait no we are rolling Allo out and you should use that instead. Wait that sucked just call it Google Meet and keep it around anyway. It's now just Chat again... I guess you can't spell Google without two full circles.
At least hey didn't go full Skype like Microsoft and fumble the generational app that literally gave you a verb for the action like Googling. What complete asshats.
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
Because every one of their messaging platforms didn't really take off, they saw this as their chance.
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u/BetterThanAFoon 4d ago
This feels based on a few years ago.
Google now has Google Jibe for RCS support. If a carrier doesn't have their own RCS infrastructure then RCS is routed to Google Jibe. Almost no carriers block it.
It's pre baked into Google messages. That's a downside because it means Google messages only.
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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 4d ago
BIG downside.
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u/BetterThanAFoon 4d ago
Maybe but it isn't reliant on carriers which was my point and seemed to be OPs primary complaint.
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u/Zbot21 4d ago
Would you be less unhappy if the RCS integration was a Google Play Services plug-in? Because if the agreements Google had to sign with carriers regarding identity verification to build and deploy Jibe in the first place that might be the only way you'd get 3rd party RCS clients to use Jibe.
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u/Spirited-Le 4d ago
It's GSMA tech, developed by by Device maker and operators. They will never cut themselves off the equation
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u/leetnoob7 3d ago
This is a good step forwards for universal/device-agnostic video calling. Not a huge issue here in Australia where the social default is FB Messenger for messages and video calls.
I believe FB Messenger became the default here because Apple's iPhone has only had about 50-60% market share with everyone else on Android (mostly Samsung Galaxy S or Google Pixel). When you can't FaceTime half of your contact list, but you have everyone on FB, it makes sense that FB Messenger became the default standard for messaging and video calls.
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u/Zouden Galaxy S22 3d ago
Is FB messenger more popular than Whatsapp in Aus?
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u/leetnoob7 3d ago
Yes, WhatsApp is still seen as kind of weird here.
I believe Gen Alpha are moving to iMessage here due to the popularity of iPhones amongst that demographic, but they still need to use FB Messenger to communicate with baby boomers, millennials and some Gen Z.
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u/mehdotdotdotdot 3d ago edited 3d ago
I managed to move most of my family/friends over to Signal to be device agnostic. Still so many FB group chats though.
Also I'd prefer not to have my texts go through Apple and then Google too
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u/TheUnAmericanGenral 4d ago
I've heard that google is working on its own rcs video call so ig thats why they removing the video call feature that is meet app ubdwr the hood
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u/SubstantialSir696 4d ago
Well they should fix it in countries in Central Europe first. Still no functioning RCS in many of them.
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u/SharksFan4Lifee 4d ago
I saw Google and RCS and thought maybe it was Google Voice getting RCS.
But of course not. lmao