Texting has altered the way we communicate, but it is no longer relevant. Sending high-resolution photographs and large files is no longer enough; we want messaging that also allows us to talk with a group, receive notifications when our messages are read, and make video calls.
All of this is made possible by Rich Communication Services (RCS), and the mobile industry is now working together to offer RCS to users around the world, including developing countries.
While RCS messaging was intended to expand the capabilities of mobile networks beyond texting, differing techniques made bringing it to users more complicated and expensive for carriers.
Through the use of the GSMA’s universal RCS profile in conjunction with the Messages RCS client software, carriers may now offer RCS messaging to users throughout the Android ecosystem.
If you prefer to communicate via Google Messages (rather than Chat, Hangouts, or whatever) and your Messages app thinks that you are unable to send an RCS text, here’s a function that you may want to enable just in case: RCS texting. As a result, you won’t have to worry about whether or not your text message has been delivered; instead, it will transmit your message via the less secure but still widely available SMS/MMS protocol. When RCS becomes available again, the switch will be re-enabled. (These instructions are for a device running Android 12; but, as is always the case with Android, results may vary.)
In this tutorial, we will show you how to compel Google Messages to use SMS text messages in the event that RCS fails to work.
Step 1. Open the Messages app and select Settings by tapping the three dots in the top right corner of the main screen.
Step 2. In the drop down menu that appears, tap on the Chat Features option.
Step 3. Scroll through the options and toggle ON the ‘Automatically resend as text (SMS/MMS)’ option.
Step 4. When you enable the function, you’ll receive a notice that messages transmitted over SMS/MMS are not end-to-end encrypted, but that communications will be encrypted again when the chat features are reconnected. If that’s acceptable with you, click Allow on the dialogue box.
However, when we send a text, we want it to be delivered as quickly as possible. The RCS protocol in the Message app provides both security and media features, which we appreciate. If you agree, you may want to double-check that this functionality is enabled in your browser.
