Google is testing end-to-end encryption in Android Messages

It's taken years, but Google today has announced that RCS messaging is now available globally — anyone with an Android phone using Google's Messages app can take advantage of the feature.

RCS stands for Rich Communications Services and is a major upgrade to the basic SMS features phones have had for years. RCS features include improved video and photo quality, seeing when chats are read, sending and receiving messages over WiFI, improved group chat capabilities and sending reactions to messages. Basically, many of the features that are supported in stand-alone messaging programs like Facebook's Messenger, Telegram and WhatsApp should be available to anyone using Google's Messages app.

"End-to-end encryption ensures that no one, including Google and third parties, can read the content of your messages as they travel between your phone and the phone of the person you're messaging," the company explained.

The launch of end-to-end encryption is an important addition to texting on Android, the most popular mobile operating system on the planet. Almost nine out of every 10 smartphones shipped run on the software.

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