Google Messages is experimenting with a new badge: The ubiquitous messaging app Google Messages will soon receive an update designed to increase the visibility of RCS (Rich Communication Services) chats. RCS messaging has been a crucial feature of Google Messages since its late-2019 rollout to US customers, providing enhanced messaging capabilities and improved security. The most recent beta version of the application introduces a visual change that emphasises RCS-enabled chats with a badge displaying the Messages icon in the bottom right corner of a contact’s profile picture.
Google Messages is experimenting with a new badge to denote RCS conversations
This new badge is intended to make it simpler for users to distinguish RCS chats from the primary list of conversations. An intriguing feature of the update is the badge’s ability to conform to the default colour scheme of Android smartphones. Notably, this feature is presently only available in the beta version of Google Messages, version 20230615_02RC00.
Previously, users had to enter the text field of a particular chat to ascertain whether it was a “RCS Message” or a “Text message,” with the latter indicating a standard SMS/MMS. Google may be working to make RCS chats more prominent within the app, further differentiating them from conventional SMS in terms of features and functionality, as indicated by the introduction of the badge.
Google Messages has implemented a number of improvements to enhance the messaging experience. In a recent update, the navigation drawer was supplanted on the app’s home screen by the Google logo and Messages branding. In addition, users can now view message delivery statuses directly from the conversation list, eliminating the need to manually access chats to verify message delivery.
While RCS offers numerous advantages over conventional messaging, including features such as Magic Compose, Apple, one of the most profitable smartphone manufacturers in the world, has yet to adopt the standard. Apple has not implemented RCS on iMessage despite Google’s endeavours to persuade the company.
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