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Google is constantly adding new features to its Messages app. Well, the latest addition is really useful. Google Messages will now make it easy to spot RCS conversations in your chat list. It’ll be easy to differentiate them from regular SMS messages.
Before we get down to it, do note that this feature is currently being tested in a beta version of the app. To be exact, it’s available in version ‘20230615_02_RC00’ of the app. It is expected to make its way to the stable build soon, though.
Google makes it easy to spot RCS conversations in its Messages app
In any case, Google Messages never really went out of its way to highlight RCS chats. At the moment, you cannot really tell the difference by looking at your chat list, not at all. Only when you open the chat, or start writing a message to someone will you know.
In the chat list, there is a lock icon on the messages you’ve sent and received, signalizing encryption. Before you start typing a message, you’ll either see a ‘Chat message’ or ‘Text message’ indicator in the text box. You also get an indicator when you start writing a message, either a lock icon next to the send icon, or an ‘SMS’ indicator in writing.
Well, thanks to this change, it’ll be easy to spot RCS convos on your chat list. When you open up Google Messages, you’ll see a list of chats, and a new icon on the profile images of people you’re communicating with.
A new RCS icon has been added to the chat list
That icon will be placed in the bottom-right corner, and that goes for both individual and group convos. That icon is basically a simplified version of the app logo with Dynamic Color theming thrown into the mix.
All the conversations that have that icon attached to them are RCS convos. Those that do not are regular SMS messages. It’s that simple. Needless to say, this is very useful, as not everyone is using RCS.
It will make it truly simple to recognize RCS messages before you even enter a specific chat. It may even gently push people to activate chat features within Google Messages.