Google announced All New Android Messages With RCS the new feature for Android Messages on Monday and will roll it out over the next week. Messages for the web is one of the top requested features, according to Google.
To set up Messages for the web, users need to install the latest version of the Android Messages app and on a PC go to https://messages.android.com.
Android Messages is Android’s official app for texting (SMS and MMS) and chat (RCS). In April, Google’s plans for turning Android Messages into something of an iMessage competitor were revealed. Google on Monday announced Messages for Web as a brand-new feature for Android Messages. As per Google’s blog post, text, images, and stickers are all supported on the new Web version. This is Google’s first major step toward “Chat”, the company’s addition of Rich Communication Services (RCS) inside Android Messages. It also makes Android Messages compete with apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, both of which are chat apps with desktop versions.
To use the new feature you will have to install the latest version of the Android Messages app. On your PC, go to the Android Messages site where you will need to scan a QR code using the Android Messages mobile app, creating a link between the two. To scan the QR code, go to the Messages app on your phone and tap the three-dotted menu on the top-right corner. Further, select Messages for Web. However, this option section of the Messages app is not live yet, and the service will only become fully available when this happens.
Meanwhile, Google mentions in a support page, “Your latest conversation threads, contacts, and other settings will be encrypted and cached on your browser.” Also, if you don’t use your Messages account for 14 days, you will automatically be signed out.
