Google Messages Update Brings RCS End-To-End Encryption To Group Chats

Last Updated on May 13, 2022 by Anu Joy

Google appears to be betting on RCS as the messaging standard and has done some amazing work with Google Messages. The search giant is focusing on security and privacy with its new Android revisions, something Apple is well known for with their services. Google enabled end-to-end encryption to 1-on-1 RCS chats in the Messages app last year. Now, the company is planning to include group conversations under the label as well.

At I/O 2022, Google stated that it is working on providing end-to-end encryption to RCS group chats. No one, including Google, can see what you’re saying if you use end-to-end encryption. Although the firm didn’t reveal how this functionality will operate in group chats during the speech, we can presume it will function similarly to the 1-on-1 version. As previously stated, all parties must be linked to RCS rather than legacy SMS service and must communicate using the Google Messages app.

More and more OEMs, including the two big global smartphone vendors, are now releasing their handsets with Google Messages as the default messaging software. According to Google, 500 million people are currently using RCS, and Google is now betting on Apple supporting the messaging app and adopting the RCS standard.

There is no concrete timeline for when this feature will be available to consumers, but according to 9to5Google, end-to-end encryption will be available “later this year” for RCS group chats in Google Messages. The report adds that the feature will not be available to everyone at once, but will instead launch in open beta first. This implies that a larger rollout will most likely take place in late 2023.