121 points

Make a public RCS API for Android. Stop trying to get people to use your app by withholding features from third party apps.

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42 points

Yeah I thought RCS was going to be this platform-agnostic service à la SMS.

I’m trying out matrix with my close family and it’s working great. Bonus points it doesn’t require a phone number or even a phone at all.

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12 points

Last time I tried to introducing my family to an alternate messaging that wasn’t the default app on their phone I started getting messages in both places with no rhyme or reason to why they would use one over the other.

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10 points
Deleted by creator
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7 points

Yeah I thought RCS was going to be this platform-agnostic service à la SMS.

well in fact it is, but noone except I believe T-Mobile in the US and Samsung actually did it; everyone else just uses Google’s implemention because it’s a ready product and works great. well, except Apple, who doesn’t do it for their own bullshit reasons

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1 point

Samsung on AT&T used the carrier implementation of it at least on the S22, which is broke AF. They announced they will be moving to Jibe from Google, but no time line is available AFAIK. Until then we are stuck with a broken RCS implementation.

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9 points

Thanks you! I use Textra, it’s so much better than the stock app but Google never opened up their API. I believe for Google said they were going to back in like 2018 or something (if I’m not mistaken, which I could be)

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3 points

Textra was the best before rcs was launched. Id love to see them get their hands on an API for it.

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2 points

I tried switching to the Google app for a month or two. I ended up back at Textra. Turns out I care more about the user experience than rcs. Still, it would be nice to have rcs but I can live without it. But I agree, I’d love to see them get their hands on the API.

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30 points
*

Fix the goddamned failover to SMS you morons! My kids don’t have data plans and I usually keep data turned off on my phone (because Canada), I keep having to turn off RCS altogether because if I try to send them a message over RCS it doesn’t failover to SMS (yes, I have the option turned on), it just sits there dumfounded saying “can’t deliver”.

You fail at failing.

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5 points

Yes this is the biggest issue. It’s caught me out several times where I thought the message was sent but wasn’t.

I’ve reported it to Google. I hope someone reads the feedback…

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4 points

You don’t get a promotion for blocking a buggy launch.

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1 point

I usually keep data turned off on my phone (because Canada)

What does this mean? I’m in Canada and I’ve got data turned on virtually the entire time

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1 point

As in “data plans are stupid-expensive here”.

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1 point

Ah fair enough. Yeah moving here from a country where unlimited data was around $3 a month was a shock. That said I get 40 GB for $50 a month with Koodo so I’ve never even come close to reaching my limit.

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22 points

That’s nice. But without some serious marketing they won’t get people off of WhatsApp in Europe.

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21 points

I don’t know how much better going to another closed system is. AFAIK it’s only Google running these servers and only their implementation.

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12 points

Yeah. I don’t really think it’s better either. I just think it’ll fall flat on its face like Google’s many many previous attempts at messaging unless they actually tell people it exists.

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[This comment has been deleted by an automated system]

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12 points

Google’s RCS has 800M active users and it’s projected to hit 1B by the end of the year matching iMessage’s usage. Whether people actually know that it’s RCS or not, it’s been a pretty successful service for Google so far.

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6 points

I use RCS with all of my Android user friends. It’s always been turned on by default for us.

Not sure what you mean not many Android users are using it?

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4 points

“you won’t get shamed by iOS users anymore if Apple would just pick this up”

Meanwhile, Google Voice doesn’t even have it enabled!

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4 points

T-Mobile and Samsung have their own implementations (which are compatible with Google’s)

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7 points

I don’t think they care about beating WhatsApp, they only care about iMessage. WhatsApp doesn’t stop people from buying Android phones, iMessage does.

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3 points
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7 points

RCS done properly would be nice. I’d very much like to not be sending my messages through meta. Google’s implementation, however, just trades one American giant for another.

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-5 points

With an app it is just me, the app and whatever internet connection I have.
With SMS&co instead I have to deal with a system outside that, managed by the phone company and whatever.
Also apps are constantly updated, RCS standard will just become SMS2.

Even iPhone users use an app in USA, it is only USA android users that for some random reasons are still stuck to SMS.
Here I just open telegram or whatsapp and message with anyone, no matter the phone. Or discord, or Matrix…

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1 point

I’m European and I pretty much only use SMS with family members and such. It always works! But pretty much everyone in my extended family uses an iPhone which is annoying when I want to send or receive big media files. So it would be very nice if iOS started to support RCS messaging

I primarily use Discord with friends. I don’t think I have ever met one that uses signal or Telegram regularly. The only ones I know that use whatsapp are my parents. Old people mostly use Facebook messenger or maybe whatsapp I believe.

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1 point

Yea. This concerns only stupid Americans and their obsessions with bubbles.

Us Asians also do not need stinkin’ RCS. We use WhatsApp.

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16 points

Yeah, I already noticed this in the last few days… my texts now show two checkmarks and a lock… at least when I text another Android user.

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10 points

You should also be able to swipe on the message to direct reply and send reactions too

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10 points

Only “benefit” of RCS I’ve seen is the avalanche of spam from companies. I’ll be turning it off. Don’t text that much anyway.

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6 points

How do you get so much spam? Where are you from? I want to understand since usually I get no spam at all…

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3 points

Apparently it’s a problem in some countries. I have read many Indians complaining, for example. I myself have never received any spam though (Europe).

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2 points

Can confirm. With rcs on I get more messages from fucking insurance companies than my own people. Fuck Google and fuck their products.

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1 point

i mean sms messages are extremely expensive and when you need to contact someone over sms rcs can be a life saver

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3 points
*

I didn’t know you could even get a phone subscription without unlimited calls, sms, and mms anymore.

After a bit of looking I couldn’t find any subscription without it.

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3 points
*

I actually have a dirt cheap $15/mo Public Mobile Canada plan that has 250MB data and 100 minutes… and even that has unlimited SMS.

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1 point

Not in many other non-US countries

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1 point
*

well I’m in ukraine, don’t know anything about us.
yeah, all plans have unlimited calls (within the same carrier) but not sms (which usually cost around 2 cents/message) here
sms is basically dead anyway… (it’s basically just a confirmation code delivery system)

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