Google Messages adds prominent badge for RCS chats [U]

Google is constant its transfer to extra explicitly label “RCS” in Messages with a really prominent badge noting which conversations are eligible.

Update 7/13: More beta customers are seeing the RCS badge three weeks later. However, it’s not but within the steady channel.

Similarly, Google Messages not too long ago rolled out the learn receipts that instantly seem in your dialog checklist. As a end result, RCS chats stand out way more than SMS/MMS threads. Neither of these adjustments are present in Messages for net or pill.

Original 6/21: On the homescreen, Google is displaying the Message icon within the bottom-right nook of profile avatars for RCS conversations, together with group and particular person. It’s a simplified model of the app brand with Dynamic Color theming utilized. There’s nothing badging SMS/MMS threads.

Before this, you’d need to open a dialog and see if the textual content subject mentioned “RCS message” or simply “Text message.”

From a branding perspective, Google could be very explicitly associating the Messages brand with RCS. It comes as options like Magic Compose at present don’t work with SMS.

This RCS badge is presumably nonetheless being examined, and we’re seeing it on the newest beta launch of Google Messages (20230615_02_RC00) right this moment. The firm beforehand trialed displaying the up to date learn receipts within the dialog checklist. This additionally mirrored which conversations help RCS, however in a extra refined method. We first noticed that change in April and it has not but extensively rolled out.

Similarly the redesign that eliminated the navigation drawer and added these objects into the profile menu was sadly pulled final week. 

More on Google Messages:

• Comment: The Google Messages compose UI is simply too crowded
• AT&T switching to Google’s Jibe platform for RCS
• You can use Messages RCS to check-in and save Google Wallet boarding passes
• Here’s how Google Messages shrinks images with ‘Send photos faster’