Android owners finally receive free Google Message upgrade that beats iPhone – but think twice before switching it on

GOOGLE is finally letting Android owners send high-resolution images and video in RCS chats with iPhone owners.

RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is the successor to SMS and MMS - and it brings a whole host of new features to phones.

While Google adopted RCS messaging years ago, the feature has compressed media files so much they lose their original quality.

It's supposed to make them easier - and cheaper - to send over 4G and 5G.

Yet the limitation has long frustrated Android owners.

Those woes are soon to be in the past, according to insiders in Android Authority, as an upcoming update for Google Messages will let users send images and video in their original quality.

People will have two options to send media:

• Optimised for chat: Send media faster with compressed quality
• Original quality: Send media in high quality but will use more data

But think twice before clicking the "original quality" option, as high-definition images use more data to send.

Android owners should consider whether they have enough data in their network plan to keep sending HD photos and videos as they can add up fast.

The feature is still in the works, but some Android owners have already seen an alert for "upgraded chats" on their Pixel devices.

"Got this notification in #GoogleMessages today," one Pixel owner wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

"Not sure if it's new or just making me aware of RCS? But then I saw an individual read receipt in a group chat with three Android phones and an iPhone."

Beyond sharper photos and videos, the update to RCS messaging also ushers in emoji reactions and read receipts.

These latter features are available to Android users messaging fellow Android owners over SMS - but they are not available in Android-iPhone chats without RCS.

iPhone owners don't currently have access to RCS messaging - however, that will soon change.

In October last year, Apple made the surprise bulletin that RCS support would be coming to iPhones sometime in 2024.

It's now clear that RCS messaging will be coming in Apple's blockbuster iOS 18 update, alongside 11 other iMessage features.