Google Messages group chats will get end-to-end encryption soon

Google is celebrating 30 years since the first SMS was sent by announcing that it will soon bring support for end-to-end encryption to group chats within the Google Messages app, while also taking another jab at Apple over its support Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard in iMessage.

The technology behind RCS enables a multitude of modern features and one of them is end-to-end encryption that protects privacy and enhances user security. So far end-to-end encryption covers single chats, but it will soon be extended to group chats as well. At the same time, the company says that it will soon allow users to react to any message using any emoji they want, like for example on WhatsApp.

RCS has been developed to work on any kind of platform and ecosystem. Google reports that all major telecommunications providers and device and software manufacturers have adopted it, with the exception of Apple. Especially for the latter, he has to say that even today it still only offers users the option of SMS when sending messages from iPhone to Android devices, as a result of which their level of communication remains stuck in the '90s.