Google Messages reaches 1 Billion users, celebrates with 7 new features

Google Messages, which is also the default messaging app for Android, has reached a significant milestone of 1 billion monthly active RCS users. To celebrate their achievement, Google has added seven new features to the app to enhance expression and communication, improve user experience, and make messaging more engaging.

What is RCS?

RCS, aka Rich Communication Services, is a messaging standard that offers several advantages over traditional SMS and MMS protocols. It provides features such as typing indicators, read receipts, high-quality media sharing, improved group chats, and end-to-end encryption for increased privacy.

Here are the added features:

1. Photomoji: Google AI is used on-device to create personalized chat reactions from photos.
2. Voice Moods: One can add emotions to the voice messages by using various effects.
3. Screen Effects: Bringing messages to life with vibrant animations triggered by specific phrases.
4. Custom Bubbles: Enabling customization of bubble colors and backgrounds for individual conversations.
5. Reaction Effects: Animated effects can be added to enhance reactions, making simple emoji responses more dynamic and expressive. 
6. Animated Emoji: Adding captivating visual effects to emoji expressions enhances the excitement and vibrancy of messages.
7. Profiles: Empower users to personalize their profile name and picture linked to their phone number, aiding in identifying contacts and participants in group chats.

The release of these new features follows Apple’s recent announcement that it will adopt RCS features in future versions of iOS. Has Google been planning this all the way long? More about it here.