Google Develops ‘Chat’ Encompassing Apple iMessage Like Functionalities

Google+ launches in 2011 with Huddle and Hangouts Video, offering two new ways to begin messaging people.

The new Chat technology adds typing indicators, bigger, full-resolution images, video and read receipts, as reported by The Verge.

Since Allo is now on its deathbed, Google is now focusing on Chat as the Verge reports, which is based on Rich Communication Services. Through RCS, users would send messages through their data plans, like other popular instant messaging services, and it would allow standardized texting across various Android devices and carriers.

Since Hangouts (which later became an enterprise app) and Allo both of these apps couldn’t replace the standard SMS app, we can expect this Chat service to replace the standard SMS on all Android platforms later this year. But since Apple is unlikely to adopt Chat, Android users will still have to use these cross-platform apps to communicate with friends who have iPhones.

Google has done a lot of good things with Android, which would explain why it is the most widely used mobile operating system on the planet. While development of the app is now paused, the app itself is not being killed off – at least not just yet. However, Google Chat would not offer end-to-end encryption, which might come as a disappointment to many as major chat apps such as WhatsApp and Signal are already enriched with the encryption feature. However, the search company isn’t stopping work on improving Android Messages app with built-in GIF searching and Google Assistant support. Instead, it will follow the same legal standards for message interception as SMS. At last, it seems like Google has developed a rich messaging service for its Android phones, one that could rival the iMessage on the iOS. Whether the iPhone will eventually support Chat is unknown.

Google is working on another messaging service, “Chat“, in a bid to catch up with Apple iMessage. It may be annoying for some users as they wait for their carrier to support the new protocol, but Google believes that most will be on board by the end of 2018. For the record, Chat will not be a new app. Microsoft, which could pave the way for an RCS chat app on Windows 10, The Verge speculates. And now, the company has made a decision to go all in on RCS with the introduction of “Chat“. Much like SMSs, Chat messages will also be visible on any device irrespective of the carrier they are hooked on to. It’s working on a project that will replace SMS messaging as we know it. Just like iMessage, if the recipient doesn’t have RCS enabled on their phone, they’ll receive the message in the refurbished version automatically, and if not, they’ll receive the standard SMS.

What isn’t similar to how iMessage works is how secure Chat will be.