Alb_x_008How RCS on iPhone Will Make Texting Better for Everyone
is not rcs simply another locked down standard under the thumb of google, which they have decided to limit and block on rooted devices in the past?
correct me if im wrong ? but this all seems like a freight train of no good barelling in. google propoganda has won out and we’re swapping one gatekept standard for another.
IrdialI believe that RCS is a specification maintained by the GSM Association. That’s not to say Google is not a member (they are) and has a strong influence, but Google doesn’t own the standard either
Last I had looked into it, although the standard exists, they use their own servers and are not comparable with other res implementations
They are also the only RCS supplier on Android. A random messaging app can’t simply add RCS messaging functionality.
It’s not really much of an open standard at all.
They are also the only RCS supplier on Android. A random messaging app can’t simply add RCS messaging functionality.
You are correct that an app can't directly implement RCS but it can support it. RCS is implemented by the carrier, not by Google or any other text application.
RCS is an open standard that any carrier can implement to replace SMS/MMS. The only thing special that Google does is on top of RCS is provides E2E via its own servers for handling messaging. The E2E isn't a part of RCS, though it should be IMO. Regardless, Google doesn't 'own' the Android implementation because it isn't a part of Android, other than it can support the carrier's implementation of RCS.
BjörnE2EE via server sounds wrong.
Well sure. You've got to trust that Jibe isn't man in the middling the key exchanges but regardless, it doesn't change what I said.
And just to note, the same is true of iMessage & Apple.
ArtVandelayIf you didn’t create private and exchange public keys with the other party, you aren’t fully in control. I’m not saying that as some kind of righteous purist, just a technical point of note.
No app on Android can use RCS yet, other than Google messages.
Not true. Both Samsung and Verizon messages uses RCS, so long as your carrier has implemented RCS.
Samsung had to sign a deal with Google with unknown terms and is Google messages underneath.
Verizon idk, I’m not American.
Samsung didn't have to do anything. It uses the Jibe API to be a part of E2E when using RCS.
Any FOSS or privacy friendly implementation?
BlisterexeSamsung messages is just a reskinned google messages
They don’t own the standard, but they own the Android implementation of it. Other RCS implantations are hardcoded to not be supported on Android, with the exception of Samsung’s - and they had to enter an agreement with Google.
It’s not open unless you create your own new operating system and implement it that way.
Google’s implementation also adds a bunch of closed-source extensions on top of the standard.
That's not true. Even Microsoft Windows' phone app supports RCS itself as a client with Android. What you're referring to is Google's own RCS servers that performs E2E, which is outside the RCS standard itself (currently).
GhostalmediaThe E2EE element of RCS has basically been a property Google thing, despite all their marketing BS about RCS seeming like some sort of open universal career messaging platform.
Although, allegedly they’ve finally relented and a universal encryption solution is now in the works.
Max-PCan confirm they block rooted Android users intentionally, completely silently, at least when using Google’s RCS servers. The message just doesn’t send and is automatically deemed spam if you don’t pass PlayIntegrity. And the only RCS capable app is Google’s Messages, third party apps can only access SMS and MMS functionnality.
So yeah, fuck RCS really. I was completely on board with RCS until that. Apple was right on that one. It won’t fix messaging, it just puts it in Google’s hands unless carriers finally decide to roll out real RCS instead of relying on Google to provide it.
Third party apps had that resolved a decade ago, and Signal is just plain better.
SuperFolaIIRC at least textra is also able to peruse RCS, though I’m sure it goes through google servers too
It goes through whichever RCS servers your carrier is using. However I believe Google supplies RCS services for many carriers.
You don’t even have to be rooted. RCS won’t work using a non-rooted custom ROM.
But in order to get that ROM you need an unlocked bootloader, breaking integrity (best case scenario is device level integrity, you can’t get strong anymore). Google RCS will sort of work if you can pass Device, but in my experience things break silently if you don’t pass Strong (massively delayed messages, messages not sending, and RCS randomly disabling for no reason at all in the middle of a conversation).
RobotToasterI disabled RCS after hearing about this, despite being on an unrooted stock rom. I’ve had a phone suddenly decide to not pass “integrity” 2 years after buying it, despite being not rooted and on stock, it’s not worth the risk of missing text messages.
Beaver [she/her]They better not obstruct the Linux phones.
bdonvrObstruct? No. Not even think about? Yes.
dblsaikoI don’t assume anyone has written a real client yet but there’s a library you can use: github.com/Hirohumi/rust-rcs-client
Moving forward, Google appears to be relenting to Apple, and will be giving up their control over RCS E2EE. Apple and Google are working with the GSMA on a universal standard that is not owned by a single gatekeeper.
That said, for v1 of RCS on iOS, since that universal encryption standard doesn’t exist, RCS will be unencrypted on iOS, allegedly. So, it’s likely to mean that, this fall, iOS to Android is still just as insecure as ever over carrier text messaging, but now images and videos won’t look like shit. Then at some point soon, cross platform messaging will get proper encryption.
We’ll probably need to wait until WWDC before we get more info on what’s actually happening with cross platform RCS.
And it’s still tied to your phone number!
Why would I want another messenger that’s tied to a phone number?
RCS is too little, too late. I’ll never use it.
NekkoDroidSure, the other option is having it tied to an email, which is reliant on your single vendor and is also an easier way to create an army of spam bots. Phone numbers at least are transferable between carriers.
The email vendor doesn’t really matter though unless you are sending or receiving emails. Phone numbers require you to pay a carrier every month. And while most people have phone numbers, some don’t, especially children.
My mum used iMessage to communicate with my sister before she got a phone number. If she switched to Android, I guess there’s Google Chat, but you know how Google is with their chat apps.
Ideally you’d be able to choose between phone number OR email. Like iMessage.
ZakIf she switched to Android, I guess there’s Google Chat, but you know how Google is with their chat apps.
That’s far from the only option. I can think of half a dozen relatively mainstream options off the top of my head (Signal, Telegram, Whatsapp, Discord, Matrix, Skype), though I think the first three still want a phone number. There are many more.
The trouble is getting people to agree on one.
Yeah signal, telegram, and whatsapp all want phone numbers I think. And I don’t think I’d be able to convince my mum to use Discord or Matrix. She’d probably end up using something like Facebook Messenger/Messenger Kids
𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝙼𝚎𝚘𝚠Signal recently updated to allow usernames instead of phone numbers.
I think you still need a phone number though. I think that’s just for if you don’t want to give out your phone number.
Ah, that may be true indeed.
Signal is now “phone number to login to the account, but you can share a username with other people”
Not 100% but better than some.
It’s the natural evolution of SMS. And SMS does what no messaging app does, it lets me send a text message to any mobile number without having to wonder whether the other party has installed the same app as me.
When I make phone calls, it’s between me, the person I’m calling and our carriers. I want it to be the same for text messages.
Simon MüllerRCS itself is an open standard (kind of), but Google Messages is literally the only RCS Client
There are no others. Like seriously you can barely find another usable RCS Client
sad! the world once again fell for google’s propaganda and deception just because they were able to muster up a good-guy attitude and a winning smile.
yeah it’s quite disappointing, I wish Matrix saw some more (individual!) funding
(organisations that have funded Matrix in the past generally want new features, but not core work on Matrix to make the experience any better 🥴)
the world once again fell for google’s propaganda
Not really — since so far nobody else has adopted RCS. And not many people use the Google one either.
nobody else has adopted RCS
hm? genuinely does the following not contradict your statement?
Chinese carriers have been proponents of RCS for years, and last year, the Chinese government began the process of codifying into law that to achieve certification, new 5G devices will be required to support RCS. src
like maybe im misunderstanding but seems fairly clear that significant people groups are turning toward RCS.
Damn it
I’m included in that :<
LeTakRCS makes everything better by forcing us to add a second proprietary communication standard to our phone that is advertised by Google and required by Chinese law regulations. And is also know for bad security…. What could possibly go wrong.
Does it have end to end encryption like iMessage or WhatsApp? No
The winners and the losers are clear to me.
Kekzkriegermore like Signal, which is superior to Whatsapp snd iMessage
Isn’t WhatsApp using Signal protocol? Isn’t also iMessage using post quantum computing cryptography like Signal?
I know Signal is superior privacy wise, but is not that used
Public-private key signing, using up to date cryptography. That’s it. It’s also “quantum safe”, because all cryptography used by the public goes through peer review processes.
Microsoft as well as Meta have contracted Whisper Systems, but there’s no way of guaranteeing that the signing process is functionally working or if it’s been broken. If it’s run server side, you have no clue. If it’s run client side, there’s still a question if the process hasn’t been tampered with in some way.
Remember: there is no such thing as cryptography with a backdoor. At that point, it’s just a secrets system.
WhatsApp does use the Signal protocol, but unlike Signal only applies it to Messages, Calls and Status.
Your profile info, who you’re talking to, when you’re using the service, groups you’re in, channels you’re following and much more is left unprotected intentionally.
For instance, Signal sends your profile end-to-end-encrypted instead of leaving it freely accessible on servers.
venusaurAnd then there’s Outlook just being its ancient self.
I still don’t get what’s so great about RCS over SMS/MMS? There’s E2EE but that won’t be in this implementation apparently.
A variety of small but useful features. Typing indicator, reactions, read receipts, and larger media limits. I’m sure there’s more, that’s all I can think of off the top of my head.
ddittyYou can send rvs messages over Wifi even if you don’t have a cell signal, like iMessage. You can also get iPhone emoji reactions to messages instead of getting a text message saying “X hearted this,” or w/e
SMS has read receipts too. I’m not sure I care about any of the others.
DarthYoshiBoyThe best that the SMS protocol can tell you is whether the message was delivered and even that isn't a requirement. SMS has delivery receipts, it does not have read receipts.
Being able to send pictures and videos without SMS/MMS downscaling them to like 144p (hell I’ve had it be even worse than that for videos sometimes) is incredibly handy. That’s the main benefit for me. Others have commented about the other features. And I’m fairly certain the article did state E2EE will be implemented.
Blue bubbles.
(I’m half joking)
One feature I found extremely useful is that you can now quote previous texts. Less useful is the ability to react to texts with emojis. But it’s good for letting someone know that you saw/liked their message by reacting with a thumbs up.