{
  "id": 12456104,
  "title": "Hope you like RCS, because Google Messages plans to remove this easy way to turn it off",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/hope-you-like-rcs-because-google-messages-plans-to-remove-this-easy",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-06T20:02:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Android Authority",
    "slug": "android-authority",
    "url": "https://www.androidauthority.com/messages-rcs-disable-3719799/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Google Messages currently allows users to disable RCS for conversations with individual contacts. However, a recent app update seems to be paving the way for the removal of this option. If this change is implemented, users may be left with only the ability to disable RCS across all chats. While the introduction of Rich Communication Services (RCS) in Google Messages has been a significant improvement, offering features like read receipts, larger media attachments, and cross-platform messaging, it also comes with its own set of issues. Despite these drawbacks, Google Messages has made it relatively easy for users to opt out of RCS when it's causing problems. Unfortunately, it appears that this convenient feature may soon be a thing of the past.",
  "summary": "Google Messages could soon lose the ability to force SMS/MMS instead of RCS for each contact.",
  "key_points": [
    "Google Messages may remove option to disable RCS per contact",
    "Change could limit RCS disable to all chats only",
    "RCS offers read receipts, large media, cross-platform messaging"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}