Google Messages: 18 simple tips and tricks to get started with RCS
Forget WhatsApp and iMessage. Google Messages is the best RCS messenger, and thanks to newend-to-end encryption, it’s even better. It comes preinstalled on every Android device, from thecheapest phonesto the most luxurious flagships.
Despite its availability, it’s easy to miss some of the app’s most useful features. We gathered the best of these, along with some handy tips and tricks, to help you use the app to its fullest potential.
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1Send texts from your desktop computer with Google Messages
While the desktop version of Google Messages has fewer features than the Android app, it’s more than enough to view, send, and reply to messages from your computer.
Here’s how to set up Google Messages on a desktop browser:
If you use a private computer, toggle theRemember this computerswitch when you open Google Messages for web. If you leave this off, your phone won’t automatically reconnect when you reopen the website. However, leave it off if you’re using a public computer.
2Activate Google Messages' RCS chat features
The most important feature of Google Messages is RCS compatibility.Activating RCS chat in Google Messagesbrings end-to-end encryption, typing indicators, and read receipts to your messages. However, they don’t work when chatting with a non-RCS app (for example, iMessage). In this situation, you must use SMS.
Not sure if RCS is activated for a chat? A padlock icon appears next to your messages when RCS is activated.
Here’s how to activate chat features in Google Messages:
3Verify end-to-end encryption
Google Messages automatically encrypts your messages once you’ve turned it on, provided both you and your receiver use the most updated version of the app. Sometimes, however, you want to double-check. Here’s how:
Another easy way to see if your conversation is encrypted is to look for the lock symbol under the most recent sent message. If it’s there, the message is encrypted.
4Schedule a text to send later in Google Messages
Scheduling a text in Google Messages works for both RCS and SMS chat. With this feature, you’re able to send text messages at any time in the future and edit them before they are sent.
Here’s how to schedule a text:
5Mark important messages within Google Messages
You can place a star next to messages for easy reference and to avoid losing important ones. Google Messages also automatically suggests you “star” messages containing important information like addresses and phone numbers.
Here’s how to star messages manually:
Here’s how to view your starred messages:
6Set message reminders
Google Messages sometimes automatically suggests that you set a reminder for a time-sensitive message, but you can also do it manually. You can set a reminder any time, and you’re notified through a Messages push notification when the reminder triggers.
Here’s how to set a message reminder:
After the time set expires, a reminder missedmessage appears next to the conversation. The reminder disappears when you send another message in that conversation.
7Share your location in Google Messages
Sharing your location in the Google Maps app is easy, but you may save time by sharing it within Google Messages.
Here’s how to share your location with a couple of taps:
8Pin conversations in Google Messages
A pinned conversation stays at the top of your conversation list, even when newer messages come in. You can pin up to three conversations, which also appear on Messages for Web in the same order.
Here’s how to pin a conversation:
To unpin a message, repeat the previous steps.
9Categorize Google Messages conversations
Google Messages has a neat feature lacking in most other messaging apps: the ability to keep it organized.
Personal texts, OTP codes, appointments, and special offers clutter your conversations, making it hard to find the important stuff. Categories fix this problem by sorting your messages into three groups: All, Personal, and Business.
These categories appear below the search bar in Google Messages. Tap a category to sort your messages.
Here’s how to turn on Categories:
This feature is not available in all countries.
10Receive iMessage reactions
iMessage users can react to your message, and you’ll see the emoji on your screen. But if you still see the “Liked your SMSmessage,” you must turn on this option. Here’s how to see iMessage reactions from your friends who use iPhones:
In a reverse-Uno, iMessage users are now the ones who won’t receive reactions from RCS users and will instead be notified that you liked their message.
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