[Update: A few more] Google Messages starts RCS rollout in several new countries

Ben Schoon | Aug 24 2020 - 7:33 am PT

Google Messages has been rolling out RCS support to Android users across the globe and, now, users in Italy are getting in on the fun.

TuttoAndroid reports that some users in Italy are seeing the prompt to turn on RCS support in Google Messages. As with other regions, RCS is rolling out slowly and essentially takes over for your carrier-powered SMS and MMS messaging. It also works even if your carrier hasn’t rolled out RCS support.

To enable RCS, you’ll first need to be using Google Messages as your primary texting app. After that, a prompt will appear at some point which asks users to enable RCS messaging. That prompt, seen below, usually appears within a few minutes of setting up Google Messages if there’s a wide rollout in your region. You can also check Google Messages’ settings menu under “Chat Features” to see if the functionality is turned on.

Google has yet to officially announce the RCS rollout in Italy, but at this point that could be just days away. Most likely, RCS in Italy is being enabled from a Carrier Services update we spotted earlier this week. Google used the same method to enable the functionality in the US last year.

Update 5/1: Apparently, Google Message is also delivering RCS features to the country of Singapore. Android Police reports courtesy of a reader that the pop-up is starting to show for at least some users in the country. It’s unclear how widespread this is as, currently, it’s one of the only reports available. As with Italy, Google hasn’t officially confirmed the rollout yet.

seems like RCS for Messages is now available in Singapore as well @AndroidPolice @ArtemR pic.twitter.com/8GFqqgkTGF
— wilson (@wilflare) April 30, 2020

Update 5/14: In the past couple of weeks, even more countries have apparently joined in on the fun. Users in Portugal, for example, have reported a wider rollout through outlets such as Pplware.

Other users in Argentina, Pakistan, Poland, and Turkey have also mentioned to Android Police that they’ve had RCS appear on their devices. Further reports of those rollouts can be found on Reddit, too.

Update 8/24: The rollout continues! In the months since the last batch of countries, Google has apparently rolled out to a few more regions. Android Police spotted evidence of a rollout in Denmark and the Netherlands. Over on r/UniversalProfile, users are also reporting RCS rollouts in Norway, Chile, and the Dominican Republic. It’s unclear how widely those last three are rolling out, though.

We’ll update this article with any official details as they’re available.