RCS is a modern industry standard that allows for more interactive and secure conversations than SMS and MMS. It lets you share high-resolution media, view read receipts, react to messages, send GIFs, and view typing indicators. Conversations are end-to-end encrypted, which prevents others from snooping on you.
RCS chats only work when all parties involved have RCS enabled. Otherwise, texts are sent as SMS/MMS messages. RCS is not supported on all devices and by all carriers.
Android Authority discovered while tinkering with a recent beta version of Google Messages that it might soon get RCS labels. At the moment, when you tap on "Start chat" in Google Messages, all contacts are displayed indiscriminately, with no way to tell which users have RCS activated.
Google Messages RCS label and tint. | Image Credit - Android Authority
A future update aims to change that by adding an RCS tag next to the names and numbers of contacts - both iPhone and Android users - who have RCS. Additionally, the contact list UI will also be slightly updated to separate users with RCS enabled from those who rely on SMS.
Contact names will take on the same accent colors as Material You, while SMS-only users will appear in white. The difference isn't easy to make out in light mode, but in dark mode, it pops.
The RCS labeling feature will seemingly also work for contacts with multiple numbers. The label will only appear next to the number that supports RCS.
When you go into a conversation knowing whether the recipient has RCS enabled or not, you can navigate accordingly. And while it may not be that big of a deal for you, the feature can come in handy, when, for instance, you are sharing secure information that you wouldn't want to send via SMS. The RCS tag will also let you know that the recipient can take advantage of modern texting features.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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