Google's latest RCS change is about to make Messages a lot worse; I hate it

I debated with many friends and colleagues, fiercely defending Google Messages, even though it clearly wasn't the best option on the market.

It's a long story, but if I have to keep it short, its simplicity and RCS support are two of the main reasons I always choose Messages over anything else.

I don't see its simplicity going anywhere, but I'm worried about RCS in Messages. I don't see RCS disappearing from the app, but I fear the experience may get worse in the coming days, which could make me quit it altogether.

I'll blame Google for this. The Mountain View tech giant has recently made a bizarre decision that certainly feels like a downgrade to me and could make Messages much worse. I hated it when I first learned about it, and here is why.

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By  Anu Joy

RCS in Google Messages is already a mess

I don't hate it as much as it deserves, though

Not all SMS apps support RCS. If it hadn't been the case, I'd have stuck with Microsoft's SMS Organizer and never switched to the Messages app. But RCS support is one thing, and keeping it working smoothly is another.

While Messages supports RCS, the implementation can turn many people away. Most of my friends had a terrible experience setting it up, and some eventually gave up after trying several times.

My partner also faced issues while activating it. After enabling RCS, the app kept showing that it was trying to connect, and it went on for several weeks. It finally prompted her to seek my help.

My trick worked instantly, and she got it working. I told her to clear the app data, and it fixed the RCS issue immediately. After seeing so many people in my friends and family circle complaining, I searched online and found similar complaints about RCS in Google Messages.

Fortunately, I have never faced anything like this, and RCS in Messages has been seamless. However, this doesn't make RCS in Google Messages immune to criticism.

While I love that I never faced issues, I can't see the unevenness in the experience. Maybe I will face the same issues many people faced when I change my phone.

I'm not worried about this, as I have the remedies to fix them. My concern is what Google seems to be planning for RCS messages in the future.

Google is working on removing a key element from RCS messages

The move is illogical and will make RCS worse in the Messages app

If the existing issues were bad enough for Google, the company is knowingly or unknowingly making the experience worse by denying users a handy RCS feature.

This isn't my assumption.

According to Android Authority's APK teardown of version messages.android_20261002_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic of Google Messages, Google is working towards removing the ability to force the Messages app to disable RCS for specific contacts.

You get everything, or you get none. This all-or-nothing approach isn't always bad, but it isn't the right way to handle messages. I feel so strongly about its looming exclusion because it's one of my favorite ways to prevent spam messages.

You can shut up someone or a business in your inbox with a few taps, but for some reason, Google seems to think that the "Only send SMS and MMS messages" toggle isn't worth it.

I don't think a company like Google can be so naive about what the removal will lead to. This brings me to the next logical question: why would it want to do it?

Google hasn't said anything about this potential removal, but it seems clear the company wants RCS to become the default for every conversation.

While I appreciate all the effort Google put into positioning RCS as the true successor to SMS, its latest plan feels disturbingly anti-consumer. I'm afraid this will push more people away from fully embracing RCS.

It's too early to say whether this will make me quit Google Messages or disable RCS altogether, but I've never been this confused about my loyalty to it. I'll know when the toggle disappears from the Messages app.

I'm still not losing hope

I'm an optimist. Although the APK teardown made Google's true intentions regarding the toggle abundantly clear, I'm hoping for a change of heart down the line.

There is also a possibility of a course correction after the removal. But if that happens, I wouldn't want Google to reinstate that toggle to the place it currently belongs: I would want a switch within the chat window.

This could be Google's long-term plan, and we've only seen one half of it. Google better go this route, or it risks making RCS in Messagesworse.