Google Teams With T-Mobile USA For Global RCS Messaging

T-Mobile USA introduced RCS (rich messaging) to T-Mobile users back in the year 2015 for their USA-based network. Here in 2020, T-Mobile USA and Google teamed up to expand T-Mobile users' ability to work with RCS "when texting with Android users on other networks across the globe." This system will be interesting to see expand, as it requires a smartphone that supports RSC Universal Profile 1.0 while the person receiving messages to have the official Google Messages app.

Per the release this week, RCS should work on T-Mobile devices that'd worked with RCS in the past. The experience should be largely the same as it's been in the past when messaging between devices that have RCS capabilities. The difference, now, is that T-Mobile customers (using Android) should be able to have that experience with other Android devices on non-T-Mobile networks around the world, just so long as they've got an updated Android device with Google Messages.

"Messages users around the world can now have a rich messaging experience over RCS when connecting with friends and family on T-Mobile's network," said Hiroshi Lockheimer, Senior Vice President of Platforms and Ecosystems at Google.

If you're looking to send and receive RCS messages from users on other networks, you'll need to have a device with RCS Universal Profile 1.0. On the other end of the line, the person must have the latest version of Google Messages, and be using chat features with that app. They cannot be using any other app for basic chat.

As the T-Mobile USA user, all you'll need to be doing is using the phone's basic messaging app. This has been true between T-Mobile devices since the launch of RCS on the network back in the year 2015. This would appear to be a fantastic deal for both T-Mobile users and Google, who'll benefit from the added attention to their most basic Google Messages app.