Last updated on July 25th, 2023 at 03:54 pm
Despite the wide range of Google services, Android users for years have glanced toward the developments of Apple. The key services that many of them would like to see on their platform were FaceTime and iMessage.
iMessage for Android
But either Cupertino was not eager to develop their cross-platform versions, or because of the features of Android it was physically impossible to implement, but neither one nor the other service reached the search giant operating system.
Therefore, Google had to create iMessage for Android and FaceTime for Android on its own. It’s only a pity that she didn’t get it right away.
Recently, Google has been very active in expanding the capabilities of the proprietary Message application for Android.
If earlier it worked exclusively as a means of receiving and sending SMS, then some time ago the company’s developers added support for the RCS standard to the application, which turned it into a kind of messenger.
The only drawback of the innovation was the lack of support for end-to-end encryption. Because of this, Messages could do the same thing as regular messengers, with the exception of ensuring the confidentiality of correspondence.
Why end-to-end encryption
End-to-end encryption is a method of transmitting data, including text messages with media attachments, in which access is available only to users between whom communication is conducted.
Protection is provided through the use of encryption keys that are generated on devices and not transmitted somewhere outside.
As a result, access to the contents of messages is possible only from devices with keys, and external hacking attempts by third parties that are not allowed to talk by decryption become impossible.
Having realized that no one would use Messaging as an instant messenger without proper protection, Google decided to start encrypting messages with end-to-end encryption. The company has already begun testing the appropriate mechanisms, which so far do not really work even in the beta version of the application, and 12 lines of program code testify to ongoing work on the implementation of end-to-end encryption.
This means that although Google is working in this direction, there is still a lot of time left until the full update is released.
Google Messenger for Android
The audience of “Messages” is ordinary users who find it difficult to understand all the known messengers’
Frankly, Google had long had to somehow protect the “Messages” for Android , since now, when end-to-end encryption and privacy for many users have become a fundamental idea, it is very reckless to neglect the safety of messages sent.
But now, having implemented protection in its service, Google may well pretend to boldly declare itself in the messenger market and begin to attract an audience, especially since the company really has a chance to win any share.
Yes, most likely, users of WhatsApp, Telegram, or Viber will not voluntarily give up their homes and do not migrate to Google Messages.
However, they are not the target audience of the corporate messenger of the search giant. Most likely, in order to gain a foothold in this market, companies will need to focus on non-advanced users who do not want or for some reason cannot download, and even more, so register in popular communication services.
And the “Messages” are immediately preinstalled on a large number of Android devices and do not require active steps to register at all – just insert an active SIM card.
