Google Messages hits 1bn RCS users, unveils 7 new features
What's the story
Google's Messages app has hit a major milestone with one billion monthly active Rich Communication Services (RCS) users. In celebration, Google is rolling out seven new features to help users express themselves more creatively. These will apparently "help your personality shine through," the tech giant says in its blog post. For those unaware, RCS is an advanced standard set to replace outdated SMS/MMS, offering enhanced features like typing indicators, read receipts, high-quality media sharing, improved group chats, and more.
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Photomoji and Voice Moods among new additions
Among the new features is Photomoji, which uses Google's AI to turn photos into reactions that can be saved and used in future conversations. Voice Moods is yet another addition. It offers animated emojis to voice messages, reflecting the sender's emotions, while also improving voice message quality. Screen Effects is part of the latest enhancements, bringing fun animations to the screen when users type specific phrases. Similarly, Custom Bubbles lets users personalize bubble colors and backgrounds for individual chats.
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Messages app now offers Profiles
The latest Messages app update includes Reaction Effects, which adds more excitement to conversations by animating reactions with ten most popular emojis. Animated Emoji is another visual effect that activates when users send specific emojis, similar to WhatsApp's feature. Lastly, Google Messages now offers Profiles, allowing users to customize their profile names and pictures along with their phone numbers, making it easier to identify unsaved contacts and group chat members.
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New features are rolling out to beta version
The new features will first be available in the beta version of Messages, with many of them now rolling out. With these additions, Google aims to make messaging more engaging and personalized for its billion-strong user base.