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Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS

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Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS

#81

Post by codedokode »

beisner wrote: post #47
atonse wrote: post #4

Can anyone confirm the biggest issue (in my opinion) with RCS? It's not end-to-end encrypted. Update: Confirmed it myself [1]. End-to-end encryption is not even an option. Which is perfect for the data addicts like Google. But honestly I would never ever recommend this as an avenue for people to use over something like WhatsApp. [1]: https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/14/20964477/googles-rcs-cha...

It's almost certainly the carriers imposing this restriction. The reason these features took so long is because, as they did for SMS, every single carrier across the world has to get on board with this. , so I'm sure that's the reason it's not encrypted. The Messages app might be a Google product, but the underlying transport has to be implemented by carriers, and I'm sure there are many, many carriers who aren't int…

Encryption can be done on device. Google as the major player could simply implement it without carriers' approval and without changing underlying protocols. Instead they have chosen to route unencrypted messages through their servers.

> or they have to comply with local law enforcement regulations about texting.

Carriers can record encrypted messages and provide them to police and courts.

Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS

#82

Post by baq »

superturkey650 wrote: post #62
OnlineGladiator wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in this situation right now - was just debating buying an iPhone yesterday after never owning anything from Apple. How do you like it so far?

Not the parent, but I recently switched to an iPhone and I'm liking it. On Android, I was constantly using new Apps, looking at /r/android for release announcements, and getting excited about all the new releases. Then, at some point, I realized I just wanted a phone that works. That's when I switched to Apple. That's not to say my Pixel didn't do everything my iPhone does. It could do it all and in many cases it cou…

mostly agree except 3d touch which is clearly the most undiscoverable input method ever conceived.

oh, and shake to undo, which i not once used intentionally.

Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS

#84

Post by warkdarrior »

superturkey650 wrote: post #71
beisner wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's almost certainly the carriers imposing this restriction. The reason these features took so long is because, as they did for SMS, every single carrier across the world has to get on board with this. , so I'm sure that's the reason it's not encrypted. The Messages app might be a Google product, but the underlying transport has to be implemented by carriers, and I'm sure there are many, many carriers who aren't int…

Is there any reason someone couldn't make an sms client that gives the option of encryption assuming the person you are conversing with was using a client following the same encryption protocol? It would require a few automated texts to exchange keys but would allow encrypted communication over sms easily. I'm guessing there just isn't a big enough market for it given that people are willing to create an account with…

And WhatsApp could easily extend their app to move encrypted messages over RCS.

Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS

#85

Post by sorenjan »

hocuspocus wrote: post #74
AcerbicZero wrote: post #46

There was a time when I really thought Google was going to shake things up. Nexus Phones, Google Fiber, Google Fi, etc all sounded awesome. I bought a Nexus 5, switched to Fi, went through the super fun process of mixing around my google voice numbers, (breaking all kinds of stuff) but eventually I was mostly setup and functional. I'd lost some core parts of gVoice, but I figured it was just a matter of time before i…

I owned several Nexus phones (the ones that were properly priced) and overall it was clear that Google never cared to launch a finished product, all of them showing some serious software bugs, and sometimes even hardware issues. I assumed it was part of the deal, and Google has pretty generous customer service policies at least. Sadly the situation hasn't really improved with the Pixels and I can't justify buying suc…

Oneplus is probably your best option.

Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS

#87

Post by abawany »

dmead wrote: post #48
AcerbicZero wrote: post #46

There was a time when I really thought Google was going to shake things up. Nexus Phones, Google Fiber, Google Fi, etc all sounded awesome. I bought a Nexus 5, switched to Fi, went through the super fun process of mixing around my google voice numbers, (breaking all kinds of stuff) but eventually I was mostly setup and functional. I'd lost some core parts of gVoice, but I figured it was just a matter of time before i…

I guess you're on apple stuff then? my nexus 6 just broke and im on an old 5x thats barely funtional. the pixels all look atrocious with no end in sight.

The pixel 3a has been a pretty nice device at a good price (299 with Google Fi - you can cancel the latter after one day and still keep the discount according to their reps). It is a mid-range device though.

Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS

#88

Post by flattone »

nullwarp wrote: post #68
flattone wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very similar experience here. I'm gathering energy to try leaving Google/Android all together for whatever awaits me with a pinephone (not yet available afaik). https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/ Thinking that I much prefer an interesting "how to do x thing I want to add to my experience" over an "oh I'm being corralled into undesired xyz by Google again, how to maintain / return to normal functions"

pinephone will be my next phone, ubports on nexus 5 has been pretty good too. That said I feel like we're going into this weird place where you have to have a cell phone even though every day i feel like wanting to have one less and less.

Agree re "have to have a cell phone".

When I check for an example of a person participating in society (US) without any phone, I come up empty handed. Then try with me to even describe a setup where a person could reasonably participate but not need a phone. I am vaguely certain this is actually not possible (credit/transportation etc). Perhaps the dire wolf citizen of privacy is pulling this off..but what a high bar to set on an entire population, without their informed consent. Similarly it may be an impossibly high bar on regulators to provide a "life doesn't require a phone number" consumer option.

I guess a person could fashion "phone number to email as a service" where you get an unanswerable "phone number" which just forwards transcribed content to an email?

Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS

#89

Post by jbredeche »

I have a Pixel 3XL on Google Fi. Every time I try to enable Chat Features on Messages, it just grays out on "Setting up ...". If I try too many times in a day, it locks me out for 24 hours.

If Google can't figure out how to make it work _on their own phone carrier_, I really do not have much hope for Android's messaging strategy.

Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS

#90

Post by organsnyder »

OkGoDoIt wrote: post #54
AcerbicZero wrote: post #46

There was a time when I really thought Google was going to shake things up. Nexus Phones, Google Fiber, Google Fi, etc all sounded awesome. I bought a Nexus 5, switched to Fi, went through the super fun process of mixing around my google voice numbers, (breaking all kinds of stuff) but eventually I was mostly setup and functional. I'd lost some core parts of gVoice, but I figured it was just a matter of time before i…

Exactly my experience. I finally bit the bullet and switched to the Apple side. There are things I miss from android but I trust Apple not to self sabotage much more than I trust Google these days. Which is weird, and exactly the opposite of the feeling I had 5 years ago.

I just replaced my Pixel XL with a used iPhone X last week. One thing that I'm struck by is I don't get the feeling that the device is trying to monopolize my attention. It could just be because I still have more friction with it (due to it being unfamiliar), but I wonder if it's also because Apple and Google have very different business objectives: Apple doesn't have nearly the same interest in the quantity of my engagement with the device.
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