Let’s face it, Google’s messaging strategy is a mess. There is some semblance of a plan to start centring their messaging around Rich Communication Services (RCS) through Android Messages and a new commit to the open source Chromium Gerrit points to native Android Messages support on Chrome OS.
The commit has a label of ‘Add a feature flag for CrOS Android Messages integration’, was first spotted over at XDA-Developers doesn’t really contain much information, however they’ve paired it with another commit which speaks about pairing an Android phone to the Chrome OS device.
Google has dabbled in web interfaces for Allo – their messaging product which is now on hold – but this reads more like an extension of RCS which is more suited to a more modern computing environment than simple text messaging.
There’s a long way to go before Google catches up to the iMessage world that Apple has created, and users are fast losing patience with Google’s haphazard approach to messaging, so hopefully this is a sign that Google is finally working on a true cross-platform messaging client.
Got the prompt in Messages on the phone today, so I’ve activated it and it seems to work pretty well. Feels a bit slow to navigate at times but I think that may be just the first time I go to a conversation. Otherwise it does what it says on the tin.
Google’s messaging is a mess. Alas, I think it’s getting worse.
I have two wishes: that it is encrypted, and does not need to be linked with a phone number. A phone number is something from the year 1932 that should have long disappeared.
Here’s the irony. Lately, Google has been lecturing everyone that all webpages should be encrypted, and Chrome will soon display dire warning notices if a non- encrypted page is encountered. Are they saying the entire web should be encrypted, but their RCS messaging system should be without such security? I can feel another failure coming on.
Hey Daniel, any chance of reaching out to Telstra and asking if a blue moon will come before they flick the switch on RCS for Pixel devices.
Telstra haven’t added a single new device to RCS despite stating in October last year that more devices will be added in the “coming months”
Optus are listed as supporting the universal profile but we haven’t heard squat out of them either..
Our latest update from Optus was included here https://ausdroid.net/2018/04/20/google-putting-allo-hold-build-rcs-messaging-features-android-messages-service-called-chat/ and I’m constantly asking all three carriers about RCS – as soon as they actually give me something you’ll know about it 😉