14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s iMessage offers users a simple and fast way to communicate with others who own iPhone devices, allowing them to send instant messages and content. Google is getting behind the idea and has apparently enabled a similar feature for some T-Mobile users.
A post on Reddit reveals that some T-Mobile users have started to receive access to RCS, short for Rich Communication Services. This gives them functionality similar to Apple’s iMessage, allowing them to send text messages that include images, emojis and other content.
RCS is the successor of the well-known SMS and MMS tools for communicating with friends, as it allows the transmission of richer data, including in-call multimedia. RCS also allows the sharing of up to 10MB of high quality picture messaging, group chats, location sharing, and more powerful features even during video calls.
RCS automatically switches between mobile data and Wi-Fi
RCS features also include optional message read receipts, allowing users to see if a message was read, as well as typing indicators so they would know when someone is writing a message and is about to send it.
In addition, RCS automatically switches between Wi-Fi and mobile data when network signal is unreliable, making sure that the message is sent even if the phone signal is down. The feature is currently available to some T-Mobile users through Google’s Messenger app, while others might receive it when the testing period ends.
T-Mobile isn’t the first carrier to offer such a feature, Sprint and AT&T have already enabled RCS messaging, while Verizon has yet to offer the service to its customers. In November, Google said that Sprint was the first US carrier to offer RCS to its customers, but only a limited number of devices received it at first.
RCS messaging is surely useful, as it offers a new and improved way for users to communicate and send their messages with multimedia content. However, RCS might not see much adoption among users, considering that third-party apps like WhatsApp already allow users to send multiple multimedia files and text messages over WiFi.