Messages (Google)

Messages is an SMS and instant messaging application developed by Google for its Android mobile operating system. A web interface is also available. Launched on 12 November 2014, it supports Rich Communication Services (RCS) messages since 2018.[1]

Messages
DeveloperGoogle
TypeSMS, Instant messaging
Launch date2014 (2014)
Platform(s)Android
Operating system(s)Android, Windows
StatusActive
Websitemessages.google.com

The app does not support end-to-end encryption,[2] however Google is working to implement it in the future and this development was seen in a leaked internal version of the app.[3]

By April 2020, the app had more than a billion installs[4] which was most likely due to Google's wider roll out of Rich Communication Services to many different countries without carrier support.[5]

History

The app was first released as Messenger along with the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop and replaced Google Hangouts as the default SMS app on Google's Nexus line of phones.[6]

In the mid of 2018, Google launched messages for web.[7]

In December 2019, Google rolled out support for RCS messaging in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Mexico.[8] This was followed by a wider roll out during the COVID-19 pandemic to Italy, Singapore, Portugal, Argentina, Pakistan, Poland and Turkey.[9]

The app surpassed 1 billion installs in April 2020,[10] doubling its number of installs in less than a year.[11]

Features

The app supports Rich Communication Services using Jibe's servers which uses the RCS's Universal Profile.[12] It also features an integration with Google's video calling app Duo.[13] Messages is also available on the web which allows sending and receiving of the messages through the web, but requires the phone to be connected to the internet.[14] Messages for the web also features integration with Google Duo.[15]

gollark: Presumably they're mostly scaled down to make some small amount of things people didn't care enough about to build on newer processes.
gollark: You mean older processes and stuff?
gollark: (They = semiconductor fab companies)
gollark: They were busy prepandemic and scaling up takes ages and lots of money.
gollark: Supply chains are generally kind of broken right now and semiconductor stuff is very globalized. Cars have computers in them.

See also

References
  1. Bohn, Dieter (April 19, 2018). "Exclusive: Chat is Google's next big fix for Android's messaging mess". The Verge.
  2. Haselton, Todd (December 18, 2019). "Google makes texting on Android more like Apple's iMessage but with one less safeguard against spying eyes". CNBC.
  3. Lyons, Kim (2020-05-23). "Google Messages may finally be adding end-to-end encryption for RCS". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  4. "Google Messages passes one billion installs on the Play Store". Android Police. 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  5. "Google seems to be rolling out RCS support in Messages to more countries". Android Police. 2020-05-14. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  6. "Google: The New "Messenger" App In Android 5.0 Is A Stock SMS/MMS Solution, Not A Hangouts Replacement / Rebrand". Android Police. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  7. Villas-Boas, Antonio. "Android users who are jealous of iMessage need to know about Google's 'Messages for web' service, which lets you text from almost any computer". Business Insider.
  8. "Google Messages get RCS on Android to make it more like Apple iMessage". CNBC. 2019-12-18. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  9. "Google seems to be rolling out RCS support in Messages to more countries". Android Police. 2020-05-14. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  10. "Google Messages passes one billion installs on the Play Store". Android Police. 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  11. "Google's Android Messages passes 500 million installs on the Play Store". Android Police. 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  12. "Why RCS?". jibe.google.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  13. "Make calls with Google Duo - Android - Messages Help". support.google.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  14. "Check your messages on your computer - Messages Help". support.google.com. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  15. Li, Abner (2019-10-24). "Messages for web adds Google Duo calling integration". 9to5Google. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
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