Your contact list in Google Messages just got an RCS upgrade
- Google Messages is displaying an "RCS" label for contacts with RCS texting enabled.
- RCS-enabled contacts will also be highlighted with dynamic color theming.
- This change will help boost RCS adoption and provide a more consistent messaging experience.
The RCS messaging experience in Google Messages is not as streamlined as it should be. Until you initiate a conversation with a person, there's no way of knowing if they have RCS texting enabled or not. Google is solving this pain point for good, with a new RCS indicator in Google Messages.
When you compose a new message and scroll through your contact list, Google Messages will display an "RCS" label on the right next to numbers that support the enhanced texting experience (via Reddit). If a saved contact doesn't support RCS texting, the label won't appear next to them.
Besides the label, RCS-enabled contacts are further highlighted using dynamic color theming to make them stand out. Regular numbers are displayed in black or white. If a contact has multiple numbers, Google Messages will indicate RCS availability for each one individually.
While this might seem like a small change, it will help provide a more consistent RCS experience. You'll now be able to quickly see whether a contact has RCS enabled. If anything, this change should only help further boost RCS adoption.
Previously, the only way to find out was to start composing a message with them. Google was first spotted working on this Google Messages improvement in April this year.
There are other smaller changes as well, as spotted by 9to5Google. The screen that appears after tapping the "Start chat" button now displays a "New chat" header, replacing the previous "New conversation" title.
The RCS label is showing up for some users on the latest Google Messages for Android beta (20250527_01_RC00). It appears to be a limited server-side rollout, as the label is not yet showing up on any of my phones.
Google Messages is rapidly improving
To Google's credit, it has been hard at work on Google Messages, fixing many of its shortcomings and adding new features to bring it to the same level as its competitors. While there's still a lot of ground to cover, the company deserves credit where it's due.
Some of the upcoming Google Messages improvements spotted in testing include a new landscape layout, a large compose box to view your lengthy texts easily, and threaded replies.
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