Microsoft’s Your Phone app supports rcs protocol on Samsung Galaxy S20

Through a partnership between Microsoft and Samsung, the new Galaxy S20 smartphone will support rcs. This is the WhatsApp alternative of carriers. There is one limitation: this protocol can only be used to send and receive messages to and from Windows 10 PCs.

Roberto Bojorquez of Microsoft reports on Twitter that support on the various Galaxy S20 smartphones is possible via the Your Phone app. This makes it possible to send and receive messages from Windows 10 PCs via the rcs protocol. This is only possible if the owners of the Galaxy S20 use the Samsung Messages app as their default SMS app. Your Phone is an app that Microsoft has developed for Windows 10.

In November last year, Google started offering rcs in several countries. In the United States and India, for example, users can use rcs functions in the Messages app on Android. Google also started offering it in Germany and France last year.

Rich Communication Services is the name of the messaging protocol that has long been regarded as the successor to SMS, including the ability to initiate group chats, send photos and videos, or share location. The protocol originates from an umbrella organization of providers, but its support has so far left something to be desired. Providers must support the protocol before Google can offer it, and it won’t work on iOS by default.