A few days ago, it was revealed that phones running One UI 6.1.1 out of the box don't come with Samsung Messages pre-installed in some countries. After some questions were raised about that move, Samsung revealed why it dropped its stock messaging app in favor of Google Messages.
Samsung decided to stop pre-installing Samsung Messages to improve RCS adoption
Samsung revealed the reason behind dropping the Samsung Messages app to Android Authority. The company wants to help improve the adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS). The company believes that using Google Messages as the default messaging app will improve RCS adoption and deliver a more robust and engaging mobile messaging experience to Galaxy users.
In a statement given to Android Authority, Samsung said, “Samsung and Google have been closely working together on many communication service areas and this collaborative effort to make Google Messages the default common messaging platform for the Android mobile ecosystem will accelerate the adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS) and deliver a more robust and engaging mobile messaging experience to Galaxy users.”
While this change is limited to the US market right now, a Samsung executive hinted that the company could do the same in other countries. More information about it will be revealed in the coming months.
What is RCS, and why is it important?
RCS is a newer messaging standard, and it is an improvement over SMS and MMS. It allows sending and receiving text, high-resolution images and videos, emojis, stickers, and location. It also offers modern messaging features, including real-time read/seen, typing indicator, individual message replies, and improved security. It also brings all those features to group chats.
After the European Union (EU) investigation into Apple's policies, Apple announced it would bring RCS to iPhones with the iOS 18 update. Since millions of iPhones will get the RCS feature in the next few months, Google and Samsung might have come to an understanding to use the Google Messages app as the default messaging app on Galaxy phones and tablets.
With RCS, the green bubble-blue bubble problem won't likely be an issue anymore between Android and iPhone users.
