Comment on How RCS on iPhone Will Make Texting Better for Everyone

spujb@lemmy.cafe ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

• vhstape@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I 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

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  • tentacles9999@lemmynsfw.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Last I had looked into it, although the standard exists, they use their own servers and are not comparable with other res implementations

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    • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      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.

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      • Kid_Thunder@kbin.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        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.

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  • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    The 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.

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  • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    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.

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    • Kid_Thunder@kbin.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      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).

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• Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  They also 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. 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.

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  • KrapKake@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    You don’t even have to be rooted. RCS won’t work using a non-rooted custom ROM.

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    • Almrond@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      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).

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  • SuperFola@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    IIRC at least textra is also able to peruse RCS, though I’m sure it goes through google servers too

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  • RobotToaster@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    I 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.

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• BearOfaTime@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  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.

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  • NekkoDroid@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Sure, 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.

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    • rbits@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      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.

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      • Zak@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        If 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), and there are many more.

        The trouble is getting people to agree on one.

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  • erwan@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    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.

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• Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  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.

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• cyrus@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  RCS 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

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  • spujb@lemmy.cafe ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    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.

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    • abhibeckert@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      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.

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      • spujb@lemmy.cafe ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        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.

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    • cyrus@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      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 🥴)

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    • EvolvedTurtle@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Damn it I’m included in that :<

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• Beaver@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  They better not obstruct the Linux phones.

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  • bdonvr@thelemmy.club ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Obstruct? No. Not even think about? Yes.

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  • 2xsaiko@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    I don’t assume anyone has written a real client yet but there’s a library you can use: github.com/Hirohumi/rust-rcs-client

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