After years of pushing Apple to adopt RCS messaging, Google finally got Apple on board. Recently, with the release of iOS 18 Beta 2, Apple officially added RCS support to iPhones. This update allows Android users to communicate with Apple users using RCS-supported apps on Android, primarily through Google Messages.
However, Google Messages still has a limitation, that it continues to send heavily compressed media. Fortunately, it appears that Google has recognized this problem and may soon address it. In the latest APK Teardown post, evidence suggests that in a future update to Google Messages, the app will allow users to send original quality photos in RCS chats.
The evidence was found in Google Messages" latest beta version messages.android_20240823_00_RC00.phone_samsung_openbeta_dynamic. The screenshots shared suggest that when sending media in RCS chats in Google Messages, users will see two options.
- Optimized for chat: Send media faster with compressed quality
- Original quality: Send media in high quality but will use more data
To send high-quality, uncompressed media, you must choose the "Original quality" option, which will, understandably, use more data. Furthermore, whichever option a user chooses will apply to current and future chats. After selecting the desired quality, users will be able to add the caption to the image and hit the Send button to share the media.
It is speculated that the Google Messages" Settings page will gain an option in the future to change this setting at any time. This feature is currently under development, and there is no confirmation when it will be available for all users.
Besides, there is no clarity when Apple will switch to RCS support for iPhones, but it is likely to happen after the launch of the iPhone 16 series, slated to debut next month on September 9. Google"s new setting should be ready to roll out when RCS support arrives for iPhones.
Source and image: Android Authority