From CNET: Texting on Android phones is about to get a lot better, Google said Thursday. The maker of the widely used operating system is launching a major update to its Messages app in the US that will modernize texting on Android phones. The update will include several features that iPhone users have long enjoyed in iMessages, including read receipts and exiting group chats. RCS messaging is one of the biggest steps Google has taken with Android, which lags far behind Apple's iOS when it comes to texting.
The much-anticipated update is made possible by the rollout of a technology called RCS, or Rich Communication Services. RCS is meant to replace SMS, or Short Message Service, a stalwart but tired protocol that's more than 25 years old.
In an interview, Sanaz Ahari, director of product management for Google's communications services, acknowledged the update was long overdue, saying the SMS protocol currently used in the Android system lacks "lacks the features users expect from modern messaging."
"These are table stakes features," Ahari said. "It's a very important step in the right direction."
People can turn on RCS by opening up the Android Messages app and, when prompted, enabling the chat features. If another Android phone also has RCS enabled, text messages will automatically use the new protocol. Google is doing a slow rollout and only about 1% of Android phones will get the update Thursday. Most people in the US will get the new features "by the end of the year."
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