If you’re buying a high-end Samsung or iPhone device, there’s little to choose between. Android OS is always in the spotlight. But now, Google is slowly changing that too, causing serious anger among users…
Google’s latest update is just like the iPhone
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Android is changing. This year, there’s been a focus on AI upgrades of existing apps, as well as security crackdowns on risky apps and the third-party app store ecosystem. And later this year, Apple’s reluctant RCS concession will finally bring an update to text messaging between Android and iPhone.
One of the themes here is control. Apple has exercised this to a high degree on its own ecosystem, while Google has traditionally not exercised it through her Android. But that is changing. Google is focusing on the walled garden elements of the “Play” ecosystem, including additional protection available to its huge user base.
Here we see the latest example of Google’s “Play” style Android becoming more and more like the iPhone. According to the report, users who take their rooted devices outside their semi-walled gardens will no longer be able to use RCS.
As explained in a Reddit thread highlighting this issue, “As of 2024, Google is secretly blocking RCS messages on rooted Android devices. Even if you only send RCS text messages, you are at risk of being secretly shadowbanned.”
According to reports 9to5Google“Google today confirmed to us that the use of RCS is prohibited on some of these phones, and that it will ensure that devices comply with the ‘operational measures’ of the RCS standard. cited the need to prevent spam and abuse.
It is an unpopular behavior among those affected. “Shadow banning is one of the most classic, Orwellian tools in the censorship toolbox,” the original poster complained on Reddit. Google is currently refusing your communications entirely. ”
Avoiding problems can be difficult. According to another poster on Reddit, “I have a rooted Pixel 7 Pro and this morning RCS broke (again). What’s worse is that RCS is broken so other People’s phones may not magically switch to SMS. They just don’t receive text messages from people.”
The poster explained the update as follows: Application Google,” which perfectly sums up what we’re seeing here. The old philosophy of user first, buyer beware is rapidly changing, and the latest AI upgrades will give Google more control than ever before. This not only affects users, but also his Android OEMs, including Samsung, which has to walk Google’s tightrope when driving its own innovations.
There is a workaround that seems to work, at least for now.according to 9to5Google“Those familiar enough with rooting have found a simple enough fix that involves bypassing the safety feature (Play Integrity API) that appears to be responsible for preventing RCS access.”
However, it is difficult to determine whether the workaround will last. Another poster on Reddit suggested there may be a cat-and-mouse game going on behind the scenes as Google tightens its belt. “For the last few weeks people have been fighting hard about play integrity API/device integrity. It’s been relatively easy to get around for the past few years. Now all of a sudden things seem to be breaking more quickly. and began to resist the same workarounds that have worked for years.”
And while that poster and others call this Orwellian, the flip side of the coin is that most Android users within Google’s ecosystem enjoy the same benefits that iPhone users enjoy. They want roughly the same level of security and protection. So we don’t expect this kind of tightening to come back anytime soon.
While blocking functionality in banking apps and wallets makes some sense, blocking RCS is even more unpopular. “This is unethical [and] Despicable,” lamented the original Reddit poster. “We’re happy to make concessions on banking apps, but having communications blocked is completely insane.”
I contacted Google for comment on this story.
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