Overview#
RCS Chat is a Rich Communication Services (RCS) compatible Instant Messaging solution from Google (Android).Google supports Rich Communication Services on Android devices with its Android SMS app Messages. In April 2018, it was reported that Google would be transferring the team that was working on its Google Allo messaging service to work on a wider RCS implementation, which will be marketed under the branding Chat.In June 2019, Google announced that it would begin to deploy RCS Chat on an opt-in basis via the Messages app, with an RCS-compliant service hosted by Google rather than the user's Mobile Network Operators. The rollout of this functionality will begin in France and the United Kingdom, and it will be compatible with other Rich Communication Services implementations compliant with the RCS Universal Profile. Google's Jibe Platform is an implementation of the RCS Universal Profile, designed to help carriers launch RCS Chat quickly and scale easily.
RCS Chat End-to-end Encryption#
RCS Chat will not support End-to-end Encryption at least to start.Google has stated that it would only retain message Data In Transit until it is delivered to the recipient.
Technically, there’s nothing in the Rich Communication Services spec that would prevent building in End-to-end Encryption. Google just has to get the GSMA to agree to a standard to add on to the RCS Universal Profile (the spec that lets RCS services interoperate). That’s easier said than done, and it is not just Mobile Network Operators, plenty of governments would be unhappy to see the default SMS method on 75 percent of the world’s devices have End-to-end Encryption!! More Information There might be more information for this subject on one of the following:
- [#1] - GOOGLE IS FINALLY TAKING CHARGE OF THE RCS ROLLOUT
- based on information obtained 2019-06-19