End-to-end encryption being tested for group chats on Google's Messages app

Search giant Google recently announced that it was carrying out a number of tests for end-to-end encryption being employed on its "Messages" app, especially for group chats.

The multinational also noted that the feature may be rolled out to a few users of the "Messages" app who are on its open beta program.

According to a report by TechCrunch, the search giant initially began testing end-to-end encryption for individual chats in 2020, and later made the feature available to all users of the app in June.

Google's messaging service is based on Rich Communication Services, also known as RCS, an upgraded version of the SMS service with added features like typing indicators and 'read' marks.

As per TechCrunch, the search giant has attempted to convince manufacturers and carriers, and even tech giants like Apple, to adopt the RCS system in order to allow sharing of high-quality multimedia content via android to iPhone users.

"Today, all of the major mobile carriers and manufacturers have adopted RCS as the standard - except for Apple. Apple refuses to adopt RCS and continues to rely on SMS when people with iPhones message people with Android phones, which means their texting is stuck in the 1990s," a blog post on Google read.

The blog post further read, "Hopefully, Apple can #GetTheMessage so we don't have to keep waiting to remove the whole 'green-versus-blue bubble' thing. Happy birthday, SMS - you were a great start, and you had a good run, but everyone is ready for an upgrade".

Meanwhile, Google has attempted to bridge the user experience between users having different operating systems by adding reaction support for iPhone texts.