Messaging is not an Android mess, it is an iPhone drawback: Speaking RCS with Hiroshi Lockheimer

Just a few weeks in the past at MWC 2023, I had the chance to sit down down with Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s senior vice chairman of Platforms and Ecosystems, to speak about RCS messaging. Whereas there wasn’t a lot on the way forward for what Google is planning with Google Messages and RCS as a protocol, I did get take a look at how RCS was created and the way Google views it.

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For some background, RCS was launched by the GSMA in 2008 as a successor to SMS. GMSA is the World System for Cellular Communications, a bunch of greater than 750 cellular operators and greater than 400 firms within the cellular ecosystem. GSMA’s important intention was a contemporary communication protocol that will not work over voice networks as a result of then, and to some extent now, SMS used the identical mobile channels as a phone name. It was and could be very outdated, inefficient and unsafe. That is why the GSMA designed RCS, to switch the outdated platform.

Just a few years after the GSMA launched RCS (and as apps like WhatsApp took off), Lockheimer mentioned the GSMA approached Google about the usual at MWC. Google, throughout the RCS investigation, realized that the GSMA was proper, SMS was virtually 20 years outdated on the time and wanted to be modernized. This was earlier than iMessage was introduced, Apple had realized the identical factor and determined to implement iMessage as their reply to the growing older protocol.

That was the start of RCS for Google and the Android group, however as Lockheimer mentioned, it is a lengthy sport, , that is positively one of many classes to stay with and preserve going. He defined that though the GSMA approached them about offering help for RCS, the carriers had completely different concepts about how they needed to implement RCS.

In spite of everything that, it was 2015 and there was nonetheless no messaging between the businesses. As a substitute, it was restricted to carrier-only, like Verizon-to-Verizon, messaging, and even particular gadgets utilizing particular apps, like Verizons Messages+. For instance, in the event you had a Samsung telephone from T-Cellular, there was no assure that it will even work with T-Cellular. You would wish particular telephones on particular firmware, and there was no assure that your pals would even have entry to them. In the event you determined to get an unlocked telephone and never by a service, there was no approach to entry RCS. Primarily, the RCS was ineffective.

The turning level for RCS was with the Common Profile. The Common Profile was a set of fundamental RCS options that had been all supported in the identical approach by all suppliers utilizing RCS. This included typing cues, learn receipts, exiting group chats, lossless picture sharing, file switch and extra. The Common Profile meant that RCS would lastly change into cross-carrier and feature-rich in a significant approach! Positive, some carriers rolled out the Common Profile on some LG and Samsung telephones through customized apps through the years, besides, the Common Profile did not matter as a result of, as soon as once more, it was exhausting to know in the event you or your contacts you’ll have entry to it. and it is inconceivable to entry in the event you did not purchase a telephone by a service.

As Lockheimer defined, Google realized they may velocity it up, they needed to make it in order that customers would have that have downloading an app as a substitute of ready for one thing to occur that they could not management. This occurred in 2019 when Google determined to launch RCS Chat. This easy addition to Googles Messages consumer allowed any person to entry probably the most fundamental options of RCS with out counting on the service for Common Profile help or the machine OEM for RCS help. Merely put, RCS started to reside as much as its potential.

Now, that is all historical past. How the RCS was created, frankly, would not matter. The place it goes from right here issues. As of Google I/O final yr, Googles RCS service had 500 million customers, a quantity that Lockheimer mentioned is way increased now.

Google would not need RCS to switch your different messaging apps

I need to begin by quoting Google right here:

Our analysis exhibits that the common individual makes use of 3 to 4 messaging apps, be it WhatsApp or Snap. That is great. We weren’t making an attempt to construct RCS into one app to rule all of them.

Hiroshi Lockheimer

One of many main issues with RCS rolling out to extra customers and pushing Apple to help it’s third-party apps. Why not simply set up WhatsApp or Telegram or Sign? Why do you want RCS? The everyday individual would not, nevertheless it would not harm for the default to be a bit of higher.

RCS on Android isn’t meant to switch the remainder of your apps. Sign continues to be the place to go in the event you’re in search of extremely safe messaging. Telegram and Discord are the place you go whenever you’re in search of teams or to speak to your pals. WhatsApp, Fb Messenger, Snapchat, Instagram, that is the place you go for family and friends. Google is not making an attempt to vary that. they do not need to change that. Hiroshi made it clear.

Each app has its function, and Google would not suppose RCS will change that. Google simply desires one thing higher by default.

The cynical case for why Google desires RCS to succeed

After speaking to Google about RCS messages, one factor turned clear: Google actually desires RCS to take off, exterior of the Android platform. There are lots of theories as to why Google would possibly need to push RCS and substitute SMS because the default on gadgets worldwide. Some have speculated that that is knowledge assortment, however end-to-end activation by default makes this unlikely. Others have theorized that Google desires it so there’s one much less brick in Apple’s walled backyard, and that is sensible, to some extent.

RCS doesn’t require the usage of each function. Common Profile doesn’t require typing markers, learn receipts, and many others. Apple, if it needed, might choose and select which elements of RCS it needed to implement. In the event that they needed to only add end-to-end encryption and higher group chats, they may. This principle of breaking the walled backyard falls aside when you think about what Apple has the potential to do to take care of the walled backyard whereas bettering safety and different experiences.

I consider this is because of easy verified messages and RCS for enterprise. RCS for Enterprise permits Google and different suppliers to promote companies entry to higher messaging with prospects. As a part of Jibe, Google makes use of RCS to offer wealthy buyer exchanges. This may very well be, for instance, Greatest Purchase utilizing RCS to offer QR codes and the power to ship whenever you’re there within the RCS chat.

Google sells it as a service to companies for B2C (enterprise to client) communications, so the extra gadgets, particularly when iPhone customers are usually keen to spend extra money by their telephones, the better the sale turns into for companies to take a position at Google Jibes B2C Communications Providers. This together with all of the Google Account hyperlinks to ship full decision images to Google Images,

Messaging is not an Android drawback, it is an iPhone drawback

Messaging is solved for Android customers. In the event you exit and purchase a brand new Android telephone proper now, your default messaging consumer will doubtless be Google Messages with RCS Chat. Even on older gadgets, all you want is to put in an official Google app from the Play Retailer.

One of many huge takeaways from speaking with Lockheimer was that trendy messaging and the basics of RCS are being solved on Android. Android customers worldwide can entry RCS with one another. It is peer-to-peer encrypted utilizing the Sign protocol, each person-to-person and group chats (at present in beta) of as much as 100 individuals.

SMS issues are not any extra for the overwhelming majority of Android customers. The issue now issues iPhone customers.

iPhone customers have iMessage Android customers have RCS. The one approach to have native cross communications primarily based on telephone numbers is with a 20 yr outdated protocol. Pictures look worse, video appears to be like worse, group chats change into a multitude of delayed messages in teams you may by no means depart. Plain and easy, the expertise is the worst.

This protocol isn’t safe, which is vital as a result of probably the most common types of 2-factor authentication is through textual content message. RCS permits enterprises to make use of the RCS Common Profile with the Sign protocol to encrypt these messages. This implies, in principle, that prospects utilizing two-factor with Android might have extra safety than iPhone customers. Realistically, this is not launched but and sure will not be till it is definitely worth the funding, as it will be if iOS supported RCS.

As Hiroshi mentioned:

Because you talked about Apple, simply saying, they speak about how privateness is a human proper and the way vital that’s to them. I really feel that, look here’s a expertise that’s out there now Now I really feel dangerous for the iPhone customers who’re going to face the degraded options, it will be nice if they may carry this to them. And higher safety for them too. You recognize Android customers are high quality, messaging one another with absolute safety and all that, and now it is bizarre as a result of now once they work together with iPhones they must cope with a degraded safety expertise.

He’s proper. There’s lots of debate about RCS and whether or not Apple ought to help it, many tech fanatics and people within the business cite the horrible expertise till not too long ago as the idea for why they should not, however as I mentioned earlier, that is all historical past. The way it occurred would not matter, what issues is how they proceed. Nobody is asking for all of the Apple apps on Android and may preserve them. What Google desires, what customers need, and what I would like is easy: One thing higher and safer than SMS.

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