Google is taking strict action against jailbroken Android devices, preventing people from using the RCS messaging feature in the search giant’s Messages app.
Over the past few months, users with jailbroken Android devices have filed several reports via the Messages app’s support page and Reddit after finding they were suddenly unable to send or receive RCS messages.
One example shows that RCS messages disappear after the send button is pressed. Several reports also indicate that the Google Messages app has given no indication that RCS chat is no longer working, and it still appears as online and working in the app.
Google spokeswoman Ivy Hunt said in a statement regarding whether the company is blocking the use of the RCS service across jailbroken devices: “Google verifies that devices sending and receiving messages follow the operating procedures set by the RCS standard in an effort to prevent spam and abuse across its messaging app.” .
Hunt added: “Google is moving between many solutions to ensure Android users are able to communicate, along with ensuring that devices that may not be able to access one communication protocol always have at least another protocol available, and users who are unable to use RCS can still This case accesses SMS and MMS messages.
To some extent, Google’s concerns are valid, as RCS messages have had challenges handling spam, forcing the search giant to disable the RCS advertising feature in India in 2022.
Some services, such as payment and banking apps, including Google Pay and Google Wallet, stop working on jailbroken devices as a security measure, although they usually provide a warning message to make it clear that the device is not supported.
Owners of jailbroken Android devices who experienced RCS issues with the Google Messages app did not receive such a warning.
Google has spent the past few years pushing RCS as the future of instant messaging, thanks to its support for features missing in SMS, such as write notifications, read receipts, high-resolution photo sharing, and support for sending messages over Wi-Fi as well as cellular networks.
