New York (CNN Business) Google is bringing its version of iMessage to Android.

Starting in the UK and France later this month, people with Android phones will be able to opt into the new texting service, which Google calls Chat.

Chat is an easier way to text on Android . Like iMessage , it provides read receipts and ellipsis symbols to indicate when people are typing. Chat also lets people send texts through Wi-Fi, so they can save their cellular data. And it lets them send higher resolution images and videos. Like iMessage, users can choose to opt into the service or disable it if they don't want it.

"While we're pleased with this progress, our goal is to seamlessly bring a modern messaging experience to every Android user around the world, regardless of their device or carrier," Google's product management director Sanaz Ahari told CNN Business in a statement.

Google GOOGL Google's goal is still a ways off, but the company's statement is a good indication that more people in other countries outside the UK and France will get access to Chat soon.told CNN Business it will roll out Chat to other countries this year but didn't specify details.

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