Google Messages replaced the AOSP SMS app, and is the only app that provides support for E2EE RCS and standard RCS if your carrier has not provided their own.
It’s also one of the few mainstream mesaaging apps that won’t have a hissy fit about being installed on a rooted device
Edit: Ah, my point got lost. There is no other app on Android that will let you do RCS mesaaging from a desktop.
Google has blocked anyone’s ability to make an RCS app by making the API a system-level API. In order to make an RCS app, you must make an Android device. So Samsung could make one and bundle it with their phones, but Textra can’t make one and make it available on the Play Store.
Ah ok, other replies mentioned API access in relation to servers so I misunderstood the issue. It looks like that API is hardlocked to Google (and Samsung?) devices. Thanks for the info
Samsung was just an example. I have been out of the Android development game for a while now, so my information might be outdated, but back when I worked for an android device maker (Android 5 timeframe), any Android device maker could use the system level APIs. You just needed to sign your app the the same keys your Android source code was compiled with.
Yeah I was pulling Samsung from an article I found discussing the issue, not specifically your comment. It said that those system APIs only responded to Google or Samsung made apps, but that was from like 2021 tbf
Sure, but isn’t that just complaining that Google runs the largest implementation of RCS? It would’ve been great if this was handled by carriers, but they never would pick up the task so Google just did it inhouse. I think if they hadn’t rcs would just be dead by now (for better or worse)
If the qr code options stays then its absolutely a positive, but RCS is already a (very frustratingly) closed ecosystem: locking certain features behind an account would just kinda suck, since google messages (or I think maybe Samsung messages also) is the only way to use RCS presently
If you have a problem with using a Google account on a Google product, don’t use that Google product. Use signal, WhatsApp or any other messaging service.
While that is fair, messaging is a bit more complicated since you kinda have to use what other people in your life are using, and almost all of the people I talk to regularly have RCS but not other chat services I’d rather use. If RCS was available outside of google messages I’d gladly use a third party RCS app.
Like I said, its great to have an account option if you can still use it without your google account via the QR code, but loosing a feature unless you use a google account would be a bummer.
To be totally honest it seems weird to me that people would be so invested in debating my preference to not have to use a google account. I was just expressing my personal disappointment that a feature might go away unless I link an account- do I really need to justify that? Can’t I just be not-thrilled at something without people telling me I shouldn’t feel that way, or that I’m unjustified? 🤷
Allowing people to more easily sign in?
Half the people here are trying to de-google
Then this is irrelevant for them because they wouldn’t be using Google’s Messages application. They’d be using another one.
Unrelated, this is for accessing via messages.google.com if you want to dwgoogle don’t use GOOGLE messages.
Google Messages replaced the AOSP SMS app, and is the only app that provides support for E2EE RCS and standard RCS if your carrier has not provided their own.
It’s also one of the few mainstream mesaaging apps that won’t have a hissy fit about being installed on a rooted device
Edit: Ah, my point got lost. There is no other app on Android that will let you do RCS mesaaging from a desktop.
Yes but it’s a proprietary Google app. Degoogling is to rid yourself of this app.
It’s the only app that has RCS. I don’t use it, but I think it’s kind of terrible that Google has a monopoly on the format.
It’s terrible that no one else has decided to make an rcs app? That’s not really under googles control
Google has blocked anyone’s ability to make an RCS app by making the API a system-level API. In order to make an RCS app, you must make an Android device. So Samsung could make one and bundle it with their phones, but Textra can’t make one and make it available on the Play Store.
Ah ok, other replies mentioned API access in relation to servers so I misunderstood the issue. It looks like that API is hardlocked to Google (and Samsung?) devices. Thanks for the info
Samsung was just an example. I have been out of the Android development game for a while now, so my information might be outdated, but back when I worked for an android device maker (Android 5 timeframe), any Android device maker could use the system level APIs. You just needed to sign your app the the same keys your Android source code was compiled with.
Yeah I was pulling Samsung from an article I found discussing the issue, not specifically your comment. It said that those system APIs only responded to Google or Samsung made apps, but that was from like 2021 tbf
They won’t open the api. Anyone else who tries to make one would be starting from scratch. Including with a server
Sure, but isn’t that just complaining that Google runs the largest implementation of RCS? It would’ve been great if this was handled by carriers, but they never would pick up the task so Google just did it inhouse. I think if they hadn’t rcs would just be dead by now (for better or worse)
It’s because Google hasn’t allowed anyone else access to the RCS API, actually.
Google doesn’t open their own RCS API to the public. Nobody is stopping you from running your own server and service so far as I can tell
They don’t, RCS is open.
If the qr code options stays then its absolutely a positive, but RCS is already a (very frustratingly) closed ecosystem: locking certain features behind an account would just kinda suck, since google messages (or I think maybe Samsung messages also) is the only way to use RCS presently
That’s literally not this. This is for accessing on tablets and computers via the web app.
Yes, I know. I’d like to have access to that feature without having to use my google account
Use another messaging services. It’s google messages.
RCS is the only way to get read receipts with most folks I know, and google messages is the only way to use RCS presently
If you have a problem with using a Google account on a Google product, don’t use that Google product. Use signal, WhatsApp or any other messaging service.
While that is fair, messaging is a bit more complicated since you kinda have to use what other people in your life are using, and almost all of the people I talk to regularly have RCS but not other chat services I’d rather use. If RCS was available outside of google messages I’d gladly use a third party RCS app.
Like I said, its great to have an account option if you can still use it without your google account via the QR code, but loosing a feature unless you use a google account would be a bummer.
To be totally honest it seems weird to me that people would be so invested in debating my preference to not have to use a google account. I was just expressing my personal disappointment that a feature might go away unless I link an account- do I really need to justify that? Can’t I just be not-thrilled at something without people telling me I shouldn’t feel that way, or that I’m unjustified? 🤷
Regardless, I hope you have a good day :)
Scanning a QR is a lot quicker than signing into an account though.
Not when you’re already signed in on different devices