One of the most powerful aspects of RCS messaging is the ability to improve everyone’s messaging experience at scale, regardless of network, country, or device type. We’ve been working with the global carriers, device manufacturers, and the GSMA to bring RCS messaging to people across Europe, North America and Asia over the past year, providing a richer carrier messaging experience designed for smartphones. Today we’re excited to announce that we’re working with leading carriers América Móvil, AT&T in México, Oi and Telefónica to bring RCS messaging to people across Latin America. In collaboration with these carriers, we’ll roll out RCS messaging in the countries where they operate over time, bringing better messaging to more than two thirds of all mobile subscribers in Latin America1.

With RCS messaging, subscribers will have access to all the features of a modern messaging experience, such as the ability to create rich group chats, see typing indicators and read receipts, share high-res photos and videos, and more. These features will be available right from the default carrier messaging experience through Android Messages.

The service will be powered by the Jibe RCS Cloud from Google, and will be fully interoperable between networks through the Jibe RCS Hub. In addition to connecting subscribers across América Móvil, AT&T in México, Oi, and Telefónica, we’re also connecting subscribers with other networks on the Jibe RCS Hub such as Sprint and Rogers. So a Telcel subscriber in Mexico City, for example, could have a group chat over RCS with a Movistar subscriber in Mexico City and a Sprint subscriber in the U.S.

As RCS messaging rolls out, people who already have the Android Messages app on their phone will automatically get access to RCS services through an app update. Since Android Messages is updatable, subscribers will always get the latest RCS features over time. Subscribers who don't have the app can install the Android Messages app from the Google Play store. Many new Android devices will also come with Android Messages preloaded as the default messaging app.

RCS messaging also upgrades the business messaging experience currently offered through SMS, enabling brands to send more useful and interactive messages. When launched, América Móvil, AT&T in México, Oi, and Telefónica will be able to offer RCS business messaging, helping subscribers access richer messages from the businesses they care about. For example, an airline could provide a full check-in experience, complete with boarding pass and terminal maps, all directly within the messaging experience. Or subscribers could chat with their carrier about options to upgrade their phones or purchase a new data package.

In addition to Latin America, this agreement with América Móvil and Telefónica will also enable the ability to launch RCS Messaging in European markets, joining the growing network of mobile operators offering RCS in Europe, including Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telenor, and Vodafone.

The RCS service will start rolling out to América Móvil, AT&T in México, Oi and Telefónica subscribers over the coming months.

(1) GSMA Intelligence

Whether we’re receiving a boarding pass for a flight or chatting with friends and family, SMS (better known as text messaging) is a universal way for us to stay connected. But despite its ubiquity, SMS hasn’t evolved to take advantage of all the features that smartphones enable today. We believe it’s important to innovate in messaging standards, so we’ve been working with the mobile industry on an initiative to upgrade SMS through a universal standard called RCS (Rich Communications Services), bringing more enhanced features to the standard messaging experience on mobile devices. Today, we’re taking a significant step toward making RCS messaging universally available to users across the world with 27 carriers and device manufacturers launching RCS to Android users with Google.

Following our partnerships with Sprint, Rogers, and Telenor, today we’re announcing that Orange, Deutsche Telekom, and Globe are committed to launching RCS messaging powered by the Jibe RCS cloud from Google and will be preloading Android Messages (formerly called Messenger for Android) as the standard native messaging app for their subscribers. We’re also announcing that the Vodafone Group RCS service is supporting Android Messages and has already launched across 10 markets for Vodafone subscribers globally.

These partners have also committed to interconnecting through the Jibe RCS hub so that RCS messages are delivered to subscribers across carrier networks, helping RCS messaging become truly universal. We’re now partnering with carriers representing more than 1B subscribers worldwide.

Upgrading the default messaging experience for Android

We want to make sure that Android users can access all the features that RCS messaging offers, like group chat, high-res photo sharing, read receipts, and more. So we’re working with mobile device manufacturers to make Android Messages the default messaging app for Android devices. Mobile device brands LG, Motorola, Sony, HTC, ZTE, Micromax, HMD Global - Home of Nokia Phones, Archos, BQ, Cherry Mobile, Condor, Fly, General Mobile, Lanix, LeEco, Lava, Kyocera, MyPhone, QMobile, Symphony and Wiko, along with Pixel and Android One devices, will preload Android Messages as the default messaging app on their devices. With these partners, we’re upgrading the messaging experience for Android users worldwide and ensuring a consistent and familiar experience for users. We’ll continue to add more partners over time.

Android Messages supports RCS, SMS and MMS so people can message all their friends regardless of their network or device type. We’ll continue to update and improve Android Messages to bring new features enabled through RCS, such as the ability to search and share all types of content and easily access the messages that are most important to you.

Improving business messaging with RCS

Currently millions of businesses, service providers, and brands use SMS to communicate with their customers, whether they’re sending a bank fraud alert or package delivery notification. But while SMS provides a universal way for consumers to connect with businesses, the messages are limited to just plain text. RCS will upgrade today’s business messaging experience by enabling brands to send more useful and interactive messages. For example, a message from your airline reminding you to check in for a flight can now take advantage of rich media and interactivity to provide a full check-in experience, complete with boarding pass, visual flight updates, and terminal maps on demand, all directly within the messaging experience. Businesses can also have a branded messaging experience with information about the business and the ability to share content like images, video clips and gifs.

To make it easier for brands to participate in RCS business messaging, we’re creating an Early Access Program which will allow businesses to learn and build with the technology, influence the roadmap and standards, and be first to offer their customers an upgraded messaging experience. Virgin Trains, Walgreens, Amber Alert Europe, Baskin-Robbins, BlaBlaCar, FICO, Gamestop, G2A.com, IHG, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Naturas, Papa Murphy’s, Philips, Porto Seguro, Sky, SONIC® Drive-In, Subway, and Time Inc. are participating in the program in collaboration with messaging partners 3C, CLX Communications, Experian Marketing Services, MessageBird, mGage A Vivial Company, Mobivity, Movile, Vonage through the Nexmo API Platform, OpenMarket, Waterfall, and Zipwhip. Demonstrations of RCS business messaging will be showcased at Mobile World Congress next week in the Android Global Village and GSMA Innovation City, and you can learn more about it on our site.

We’re excited to see RCS messaging reach more people, and look forward to launching with more partners in the coming months. Learn more about our RCS solutions and the Jibe cloud platform on our site.

Whether we’re receiving a boarding pass for a flight or chatting with friends and family, SMS (better known as text messaging) is a universal way for us to stay connected. But despite its ubiquity, SMS hasn’t evolved to take advantage of all the features that smartphones enable today. We believe it’s important to innovate in messaging standards, so we’ve been working with the mobile industry on an initiative to upgrade SMS through a universal standard called RCS (Rich Communications Services), bringing more enhanced features to the standard messaging experience on mobile devices. Today, we’re taking a significant step toward making RCS messaging universally available to users across the world with 27 carriers and device manufacturers launching RCS to Android users with Google.

Following our partnerships with Sprint, Rogers, and Telenor, today we’re announcing that Orange, Deutsche Telekom, and Globe are committed to launching RCS messaging powered by the Jibe RCS cloud from Google and will be preloading Android Messages (formerly called Messenger for Android) as the standard native messaging app for their subscribers. We’re also announcing that the Vodafone Group RCS service is supporting Android Messages and has already launched across 10 markets for Vodafone subscribers globally.

These partners have also committed to interconnecting through the Jibe RCS hub so that RCS messages are delivered to subscribers across carrier networks, helping RCS messaging become truly universal. We’re now partnering with carriers representing more than 1B subscribers worldwide.

Upgrading the default messaging experience for Android

We want to make sure that Android users can access all the features that RCS messaging offers, like group chat, high-res photo sharing, read receipts, and more. So we’re working with mobile device manufacturers to make Android Messages the default messaging app for Android devices. Mobile device brands LG, Motorola, Sony, HTC, ZTE, Micromax, HMD Global - Home of Nokia Phones, Archos, BQ, Cherry Mobile, Condor, Fly, General Mobile, Lanix, LeEco, Lava, Kyocera, MyPhone, QMobile, Symphony and Wiko, along with Pixel and Android One devices, will preload Android Messages as the default messaging app on their devices. With these partners, we’re upgrading the messaging experience for Android users worldwide and ensuring a consistent and familiar experience for users. We’ll continue to add more partners over time.

Android Messages supports RCS, SMS and MMS so people can message all their friends regardless of their network or device type. We’ll continue to update and improve Android Messages to bring new features enabled through RCS, such as the ability to search and share all types of content and easily access the messages that are most important to you.

Improving business messaging with RCS

Currently millions of businesses, service providers, and brands use SMS to communicate with their customers, whether they’re sending a bank fraud alert or package delivery notification. But while SMS provides a universal way for consumers to connect with businesses, the messages are limited to just plain text. RCS will upgrade today’s business messaging experience by enabling brands to send more useful and interactive messages. For example, a message from your airline reminding you to check in for a flight can now take advantage of rich media and interactivity to provide a full check-in experience, complete with boarding pass, visual flight updates, and terminal maps on demand, all directly within the messaging experience. Businesses can also have a branded messaging experience with information about the business and the ability to share content like images, video clips and gifs.

To make it easier for brands to participate in RCS business messaging, we’re creating an Early Access Program which will allow businesses to learn and build with the technology, influence the roadmap and standards, and be first to offer their customers an upgraded messaging experience. Virgin Trains, Walgreens, Amber Alert Europe, Baskin-Robbins, BlaBlaCar, FICO, Gamestop, G2A.com, IHG, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Naturas, Papa Murphy’s, Philips, Porto Seguro, Sky, SONIC® Drive-In, Subway, and Time Inc. are participating in the program in collaboration with messaging partners 3C, CLX Communications, Experian Marketing Services, MessageBird, mGage A Vivial Company, Mobivity, Movile, Vonage through the Nexmo API Platform, OpenMarket, Waterfall, and Zipwhip. Demonstrations of RCS business messaging will be showcased at Mobile World Congress next week in the Android Global Village and GSMA Innovation City, and you can learn more about it on our site.

We’re excited to see RCS messaging reach more people, and look forward to launching with more partners in the coming months. Learn more about our RCS solutions and the Jibe cloud platform on our site.