Android update brings improvements to the Messages app

Your Android phone just got a brilliant upgrade, but it should come with a warning Android users are getting a nice update to the way they send messages. Google has announced that it's rolling out support for RCS (Rich Communication Services) across the United States. The free upgrade means Android users who text their friends and family using the Messages app will be able to send GIFs, images, videos, and more. In a post on its blog, Google explained, "To make your conversations more seamless, we’ve worked on upgrading traditional SMS text messaging with more useful chat features, powered by RCS (Rich Communication Services).

"When you and your friends message each other with these chat features, you can chat over Wi-Fi or mobile data, send and receive high-resolution photos and videos, and see if people have received your latest messages. "Plus, you’ll get better group chats, with the ability to name groups, add and remove people to and from groups, and see if people haven’t seen the latest messages." The latest update, which was rolled-out to the UK earlier this year, brings the Messages app more into line with iMessage on iPhone. However, the new RCS option should come with one big warning. That's because text messages sent using this new protocol are not end-to-end encrypted. That means they could be intercepted and read by a third party. And it's not just text messages – it also applies to your pictures, videos, and everything else sent over RCS. Most popular messaging services, including WhatsApp and iMessage have this security as default making it almost impossible to snoop on what's being sent across devices.

Android update