Essential information
- Google Messages may soon depend on you to prompt your friends to activate RCS via integrated messages.
- A forthcoming feature will autofill an invitation for your SMS-only contacts, simplifying the transition to enhanced chats.
- These prompts aren’t active yet, but the code exists, suggesting a near-term rollout.
RCS remains an optional enhancement within Google Messages, meaning you must enable it manually. However, recent investigations into the app’s latest update have revealed concealed text indicators that Google intends to encourage users to enable it shortly.
A recent APK analysis by Android Authority indicates that Google is working on a new capability that automatically fills a message to send to friends still using SMS. If you’re not on RCS yet, anticipate a friendly reminder from your RCS-enabled friends to finally make the switch.
When Google Messages detects that someone is still using SMS, you’ll see a “Text an invite” option. Messages like “invite this contact to RCS chat” and “we can exchange high-quality media and send secure messages when we’re both on RCS” suggest that prompting friends to upgrade will be swift and effortless on your part.