The ranks of WhatsApp alternatives have swelled over the years. The latest tech company to join this heavily-crowded space is Google, which has taken the plunge into instant messaging with Messages. Like WhatsApp, Messaging lets you start a video call, message and has a slew of other helpful features.
Google is filling the gap in Android’s messaging capabilities through Messages — a Rich Communication Service (RCS) based messaging application targeting Android users.
The tech titan paraded Messages — an instant messaging app for textOpens a new window -based chats, media (images & videos), document sharing over data, or WiFi as an alternative to the hugely popular iMessage and Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which has over five billion installationsOpens a new window . Messages by GoogleOpens a new window also competes with Telegram, another popular messaging application that has grown its footprint and has a 500 million+ user base.
Google partnered with several carrier networks, phone, and device makers to bring RCS to its global users. The Mountain View tech giant revealed that the application would be available throughout the world except those where RCS is not availableOpens a new window . This includes China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
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Drew Rowny, Product Lead for Messages, wrote in a blog postOpens a new window , “Today, we’ve completed our global roll-out of chat features to make this modern messaging experience universal and interconnected for everyone on Android. Now anyone using Messages around the world has access to modern chat features either from their carrier or directly from Google.â€
Besides the global roll-out of Messages by Google, the company also announced end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for the instant messaging app. “End-to-end encryption ensures that no one, including Google and third parties, can read the content of your messages as they travel between your phone and the phone of the person you’re messaging,†explains Rowny.
E2EE will be available as a beta test for select users who sign up for the Messages betaOpens a new window testing program. But there’s a caveat — E2EE for Messages will be available only for one-on-one chats and not for group conversations. Meanwhile, rivals apps such as WhatsApp, iMessage, SignalOpens a new window , and even Facebook’s Messenger offer end-to-end encryption for one-on-one and group conversations. TelegramOpens a new window doesn’t support E2EE, but it does offer Secret Chat, which is akin to E2EE.
E2EE for Messages will start rolling out to beta testers starting November and will continue next year.
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