Google Messages – Google is laying the groundwork to remove the ability to disable RCS for individual conversations, forcing users toward an all-or-nothing approach.
For years. Google Messages has offered a reliable escape hatch for those frustrated by the quirks of Rich Communication Services (RCS). If a conversation hit a snag. you could simply flip a toggle for that specific contact. reverting the thread to standard SMS and MMS. Now, that granular control appears to be nearing its end.
New code discovered in version messages.android_20261002_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic suggests that Google is preparing to abandon the contact-by-contact opt-out feature entirely. The strings found within the app leave little room for ambiguity. explicitly warning users that the “Only send SMS & MMS messages” setting is going away. Users will soon be prompted to either switch to RCS chats or let the system update automatically.
The implications for user agency are significant. Once this shift goes live, the ability to selectively manage protocols for individual threads will vanish. If a user wishes to avoid RCS entirely. the only remaining paths will be to disable the service globally across all chats or to rely on the automated fallback mechanism that only triggers once an RCS message fails to deliver.
This move forces a transition toward a more uniform, RCS-reliant experience. While the technology has undoubtedly evolved messaging with read receipts and higher-quality media attachments. the loss of this specific setting removes a vital safety net for those dealing with spam or connection inconsistencies.
No official timeline for this update has been announced. While code teardowns like this provide a clear look at upcoming development. these features remain work-in-progress and subject to change before hitting a public release. For now. the toggle remains. but it is clear that the landscape of how we manage our messaging protocols is narrowing.
Google Messages RCS SMS MMS Android tech news messaging apps