Samsung and Google are working to bring RCS to Galaxy phones

Damien Wilde | May 7 2020 - 5:10 am PT

RCS messaging has had a rocky rollout so far, but Samsung and Google are now teaming up directly to enable the rich text message service on more Galaxy phones.

Samsung announced that the partnership with Google to bring RCS messaging to more Galaxy smartphones officially in late April alongside YouTube optimization for the Z Flip (via Android Central). However, it’s not clear just when the wider rollout will benefit those already with Galaxy smartphones.

To start, Samsung is bringing support for Google’s Rich Communication Services (RCS) to Galaxy smartphones to make your conversations more seamless. The two companies have been working since 2018 to bring the features to Samsung devices.

The Samsung Messages app with RCS allows users to do more, including chat over both Wi-Fi and mobile data, send and receive high-resolution photos and videos, receive read receipts, and create feature-rich group chats. The Messages app is also available on desktop, making it easy to transition seamlessly from mobile to PC.

It’s also worth noting that Samsung wants to bring RCS to its own Samsung Messages client. The Korean firm also claims that the tech duo has been working on integration since 2018. Some of you may be aware that Samsung Messages has actually supported RCS for a few years on certain global carriers and supported devices.

Because of various regional carrier differences and incompatibility with other devices, it hasn’t quite been a massive success. Given that Google holds far more of the cards in the wider rollout of RCS globally, this essentially means that Samsung is integrating with the Google Chat platform.

So no, this doesn’t mean that Samsung will replace its stock SMS app with Google Messages. It merely means that you’ll be able to send RCS messages from Samsung Messages to any other device that utilizes Google Chat.

However, this is huge news, as it could massively increase the uptake of RCS across the entire Android space. Of course, the userbase for RCS currently relies on OEMs shipping with Google Messages as the default SMS client, downloading the app doesn’t necessarily work on Samsung devices. Expect to see cross-platform RCS support come to Samsung Galaxy smartphones over the coming months.