Google Messages has 1 billion RCS users, gets new effects features

Google Messages has one billion monthly active users who have enabled RCS, Google says. To celebrate this milestone, the company is announcing several new effects and emoji features for Messages, including Photomojis, screen effects and profiles.

Some of the new features are already available in other messaging services, but Google explains in a blog post that the functions will soon also be possible in Messages thanks to RCS support. Some of the features are already being tested in the beta version of the app. It is not clear when Google will release all the new features for the messaging app.

Users will eventually be able to cut out photos to create their own emojis, something Google calls Photomojis. The company also announced several animated visual effects, including for voice messages, reactions, emojis and full screen for certain keywords. Messages will also soon support a user profile.

According to Google, all these new functions are supported by RCS, the standard that should serve as the successor to SMS. RCS is currently only supported on Android devices in practice. The technology is enabled in Messages, the default messaging app of most Android smartphones. Apple will support the technology from ‘later next year’. RCS, which is sent via the internet, supports read receipts, type indication, encryption and images, photos and gifs, among other things.