Google announced today that its Google Fi wireless service is adding support for Rich Communications Services (RCS) and faster international 4G/LTE speeds.

RCS support is available immediately for any Fi customers with an eligible phone. This service provides richer messaging capabilities to the standard Messages app in Android, rather than requiring users to use a proprietary messaging app. These capabilities include chat over Wi-Fi, rich group chats, typing indicators, read receipts, and high-resolution photo and video sharing. In other words, something like Apple’s (i)Message.

“RCS will be available on phones designed for Fi and compatible Android phones,” Google’s Punyabrata Ray explains. “If you’re using a phone designed for Fi, RCS will be automatically enabled. If you’re on a compatible Android phone, you’ll need to download Messages and set it as your default messaging app. Then you’ll see some simple prompts to enable RCS.”

Google is also upgrading the speed at which Fi customers access data internationally. This upgrade will happen in the next few weeks, the firm says, and includes Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, and 27 other countries around the world.

Tagged with Google Fi