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 messages since 2018.
The app does not support end-to-end encryption, however Google is working to implement it in the future and this development was seen in a leaked internal version of the app.
By April 2020, the app had more than a billion installs which was most likely due to Google's wider roll out of Rich Communication Services to many different countries without carrier support.

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.
In the mid of 2018, Google launched messages for web.
In December 2019, Google rolled out support for RCS messaging in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Mexico. This was followed by a wider roll out during the COVID-19 pandemic to Italy, Singapore, Portugal, Argentina, Pakistan, Poland and Turkey.
The app surpassed 1 billion installs in April 2020, doubling its number of installs in less than a year.

Features

The app supports Rich Communication Services using Jibe's servers which uses the RCS's Universal Profile. It also features an integration with Google's video calling app Duo. 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. Messages for the web also features integration with Google Duo.