Google appears to be working on end-to-end encryption for rcs messages

Evidence has been found that Google is working on end-to-end encryption of rcs messages. These instructions were found in a new version of Google Messages, which can be used to send RCS messages.

The website 9To5Google examined an apk installation file released by Google for a test. Several strings of code were found in the installation file that refer to the incorporation of end-to-end encryption, although Google has not yet officially confirmed that it is working on such functionality. Often new features from Google are found first after a teardown of an installation file.

The code shows that Google Messages checks whether the sender and receiver have a working internet connection to be able to send RCS messages that are encrypted end-to-end. If this is not the case, the app will offer to send the message via SMS instead of via rcs. Then a warning is also shown that the message is not end-to-end encrypted.

Last year, Google started rolling out rcs, the protocol that should follow up SMS. RCs has long been seen as the successor to SMS. Not only is it possible to send messages, but it also has all kinds of techniques that are the norm for chat apps today, such as sending photos, videos and read receipts.