Google has initiated a clampdown on sending Rich Communication Services (RCS) messages from Android devices that have been rooted or run on custom ROMs. The move, which has sparked widespread discussion on platforms such as Reddit and Google’s support forums, aims to tighten security measures but at the cost of limiting user freedoms associated with device customization.
Rooting Android devices offers users the ability to deeply customize their smartphone experience, granting them access to a wider array of features and applications not available to standard users. However, this level of customization has come under scrutiny as Google begins to block RCS messaging on such devices, citing security concerns.
RCS messaging, a modern take on traditional SMS, provides users with the ability to send messages over Wi-Fi or mobile data, share high-resolution photos and videos, and see read receipts, among other features. This service aims to enhance the messaging experience on Android devices, bringing them in line with other contemporary messaging services.
The decision to block RCS messages on rooted devices seems to be linked to Google’s Play Integrity API, a tool designed to ensure that interactions with Android applications come from legitimate sources. This system helps prevent fraudulent activities, such as spam, which can be propagated through RCS messages. According to reports from affected users, attempting to send an RCS message through the Google Messages app results in immediate blocking and deletion of the message, an issue that affects both rooted devices and those with unlocked bootloaders.
Google has yet to make a formal announcement acknowledging the direct blocking of RCS messages on modified Android devices. However, statements made by Ivy Hunt, Google’s Director of Communications, to The Verge, suggest that the company is committed to ensuring that devices adhere to the operational standards set by the RCS protocol.
In light of this blockade, Google suggests that users revert to traditional SMS or MMS for their messaging needs — a move that some users have likened to stepping back into the early 2000s. For those seeking alternatives, messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram remain viable options, unaffected by Google’s new policy.
