Google is breathing new life into its Messages app with the return of a popular feature and hints at improved image quality for RCS chats.
Screen Effects Make a Comeback
Google Messages users will be pleased to learn that Screen Effects are back after a brief hiatus. This feature, which adds animated elements to certain messages, was initially tested from November to February before being removed. Now, it's returned in both stable and beta versions of the app.
The new implementation includes several trigger phrases:
- Booo (with three o's): Triggers animated tomatoes thrown at the screen
- Congratulations: Displays falling confetti and rising balloons
- Going to the beach: Shows a sand pail, starfish, and waves
- Hahahaha (with four ha's): Activates inflatable tube men animations
- Rise and shine: Presents a bright sun with birds
Importantly, users who prefer a more subdued messaging experience can now disable Screen Effects entirely.
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| Colorful Screen Effects enhance messaging experiences in Google Messages, celebrating communication with fun animations |
High-Quality Image Sharing on the Horizon
In a separate but equally exciting development, an APK teardown by Android Authority suggests Google is working to significantly improve image quality in RCS chats. The current implementation heavily compresses images, often to the detriment of quality.
The teardown revealed code strings indicating support for images up to 8,192 pixels wide and tall, with JPEG quality set to 100. This is a substantial improvement over the current compression, which reduces images to 1,600 pixels and significantly degrades quality.
For users who prioritize speed, a Send Photos Faster option will still be available, compressing images to 2,408 pixels with a JPEG quality of 90 – still an improvement over the current implementation.
Bridging the Android-iOS Divide
These updates come at an interesting time, as Apple has announced plans to support RCS in iOS 18. The improved image quality could help create a more seamless experience when Android and iOS users exchange photos in the future.
While there's no official timeline for the rollout of these features, they represent Google's ongoing commitment to enhancing the messaging experience for Android users. As RCS continues to evolve, we can expect further improvements to Google Messages in the coming months.
Update: Thursday July 25 19:56
Google Messages is also preparing for a significant security upgrade with the potential implementation of Messaging Layer Security (MLS) for secure group chats across different platforms. Evidence in the app's code suggests that MLS could become a core component of the RCS Universal Profile, enabling secure group messaging even with iPhone users once Apple implements RCS. This move towards standardized security and improved interoperability could mark a significant step in cross-platform communication, allowing for universal secure group chats across different messaging apps. While still in development, this potential integration of MLS into the RCS standard demonstrates Google's ongoing commitment to enhancing both security and functionality in its messaging platform.