Rich Communication Services (RCS) chats provide an upgraded, rich messaging experience. RCS chats:
- Show you when someone is typing.
- Offer read receipts, which show when someone has read or received your message. Read receipts also show your contact when you read their message.
- Send messages over mobile data and Wi-Fi.
- Let you share files and high-resolution photos.
When you use RCS chats, your messages are sent with the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol over Wi-Fi and mobile data. RCS chats will be turned on only when all the participants in a conversation have RCS. RCS chats are provided by Google or your mobile carrier.
Google Messages can still be sent as SMS or MMS.
You can check and set your default option when RCS isn't available:
- Open Google Messages
.
- At the top right, tap your profile photo or icon
Messages settings
- Choose your default option:
- Always resend as SMS/MMS
- Resend as SMS/MMS when not roaming
- Ask before resending
- Never resend as SMS/MMS
To check your RCS availability and status:
- Tap on your profile photo or icon
- Tip: If you can't find "RCS chats," tap Chat features.
To troubleshoot your RCS chats connection:
- Update Google Messages and your Carrier Services from Play Store.
- Make sure Google Messages is set as your default SMS app.
- If your device has dual SIM slots, and both SIMs are inserted, make sure your Call SIM is configured as your Data SIM:
- On your Android device, open your Settings.
- Tap Network & Internet.
- Make sure your Call SIM is configured as Data.
When we're in the process of verifying your phone number, your RCS chats status displays “Setting up.” If the “Setting up” status remains for more than a day, it means Google Messages can’t verify your phone number.
To verify your phone number:
- Go to your profile photo or icon
- Tip: If you can't find "RCS chats," tap Chat features.
- Google will send an SMS to confirm your phone number.
- Make sure you can receive SMS messages.
Google Messages tells you when your message has been sent, received, and read through the icons next to your message:
Important: These icons won't show on SMS or MMS messages.
- Timer
: Your message is being sent.
- Single check
: Your message has been sent.
- Double check
: Your message has been delivered.
- Color-filled double check
: Your message has been read.
You can make Google Messages your default app as described here. You won’t lose any existing SMS/MMS messages if you change your default app to Google Messages and you’ll be able to use Google Messages’ benefits such as Google Messages for Web, Smart Replies, and RCS chats (where supported).
If your previous messaging app supports proprietary features or non-interoperable forms of messaging (not SMS, MMS or interoperable RCS), you won't be able to use those features after you switch.
No, but standard text messaging via SMS/MMS will still work.
Information we use
To make sure your messages are properly delivered, Google uses information like your phone number, device identifiers, and SIM card number. This data may be stored for about a month to keep you connected to RCS and in cases where you temporarily go offline.
When you turn on RCS chats, and each time you send a message, Google checks your contacts to find out if they can also use RCS chats. These checks may go through Google’s RCS infrastructure and other service providers to reach your contacts.How RCS chats work between Android and iOS
You can now use Rich Communication Service (RCS) chats between Android and iPhones. When you chat with an iPhone user friend, you can:
- See typing indicators in 1:1 conversations
- Read receipts in 1:1 conversations
- Manage group chats
- Send high-resolution photos and videos