End-to-end encryption for Google Messages groups is coming soon, according to a Google announcement. The beta group will be the first to get the security update before it goes out to the whole public.

Messages sent and received using end-to-end encryption are secure from prying eyes, including Google. It is now only available in one-on-one talks in the Google Messages app, but this will soon change.

Some users in the open beta programme will have access to end-to-end encryption for group conversations in the coming weeks, according to Google. This shouldn’t even be a consideration; it’s simply an expectation, and it’s not anything someone should have to be concerned about while they’re texting.

We’re making the switch from SMS to RCS

Along with this major update, Google also announced in the same blog post that emoji reactions would soon be available in Google Messages. There is a limited set of emojis available for usage as replies right now.

In addition to highlighting these improvements, Google has kept up its aggressive campaign to get RCS (Rich Communication Services) recognised as the industry standard. RCS is an improvement over SMS and is already widely accessible, although Apple has yet to incorporate it into the iPhone.

Google’s article also noted the SMS’s 30th birthday, a significant landmark that highlights both the technology’s advanced age and the pressing need for a new, more modern standard to replace it.

Texting should go the way of the dodo

Even though the messages could only be a certain number of characters in length and many phones could only hold a certain number of texts at any one time, the advent of SMS three decades ago helped to revolutionise the manner in which we interact with each other.

These constraints no longer exist thanks to revolutionary new programmes like WhatsApp and Slack. These days, we can send much lengthier messages that even contain media like photographs, videos, and music, and we can see if and when the receivers have even opened them.

These enhancements to message security and quality of life in areas like group chats make RCS a worthy upgrade. While Google didn’t invent the standard, it’s a big proponent of it.

When an iPhone user sends a text to an Android user, however, SMS is still the protocol utilised. Google would want for this to alter, but it’s very doubtful that Apple would ever comply since iMessage is a major selling point for iPhones.