When will AT&T begin support for RCS in Android Messages?

Hello @AndrewJanuszko!

That's a great question. Nothing has been officially announced regarding AT&T's support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) in Android Messages, although our Advanced Messaging is based on RCS and available on select devices. Please stay tuned for any future public announcements from AT&T regarding RCS support.

Kenneth, AT&T Community Specialist

Hi,

This is FatCat, AT&T CEO. Rest be assured that while I'm replying to you all on my clamshell phone from T-Mobile, excuse me Verizon, my wallet swells with every counting day that I continue to milk the SMS/MMS ticket to oblivion. Did you know we enabled RCS in our stock app that no one uses? Literally, I'm the only one. I don't know your concerns about RCS and frankly don't care. What is Google? What is Chat? What is progress? What is the 21st century? These are all existential questions that I have no expertise in answering for you. But I'll leave it to my script regurgitating service reps to handle your concerns. Do continue to pay your inflated phone bill in time. Thanx. Big-O.

My wife is on att, and I'm on Project Fi. I wish att could support "Chat Features" so that my wife and I can chat using data when possible. Otherwise, we would seriously consider switching to Project Fi for her, as it not only supports "Chat Features" but also cheaper than att.

@ATTCares : That is all you ever say is that "our app does that".  So does WhatsApp, and other Apps in a round about way, but that's not supporting the "CORE" RCS at a carrier level rather than an APP level.  You already support HD Voice get with the program.

@bokertov : I have been in a similar boat, with 6 ATT phone lines all staggered 2 year device contracts, its been hard to leave ATT.  This week I pre-ordered the Pixel 3 and bit the bullet on 1 line to "pay off" the device myself.  I'll still be setting the phone up for ATT, but once my wife's line (4 months from now) becomes cheap enough to buy out, we will do the same, only at that point, switch to google Fi.  I'll be able to drop the remaining "kids" phones down to a 4GB shared plan that is affordable until each phone reaches contract completion and switch them to Fi as well.  My surrounding area has great tMobile and Sprint coverage (which Fi also uses) making the quality of service actually "better" than ATT and "cheaper".  Its been many years of a love hate relationship, but I've finally got a clear plan to switch.  ATT takes too long to adapt both to pricing and features.

I would also like to know this..I would like these features to be active for Messages by Google. It's my preference of Messaging app and would like to have RCS working with it on At&t

Just updating this thread. Verizon announced today that would begin supporting RCS on Pixel Devices through the Android Messages on on 11/14/2018. It blows my mind that AT&T is the last the adopt this global change over. Get with the program. 

Thanks! I would love to communicate with the other 5 people on my plan when I don't have perfect reception. 

If y'all don't get with the program soon Android users are gonna be looking for a better user experience.  

Seriously can not believe you guys think having your own messaging app will attract new customers and keep existing customers. Yeah your app works with exactly 4 people in my contacts. Really awesome. Don’t you guys see how T-Mobile got back in the game by being bold and doing stuff first and thinking out of the box. It’s not that hard just give customers what they want and they will be loyal to you. Why don’t you guys get that. 

One year later and just got the same exact answer from an online chat rep. "We don't support it yet, but why don't you try out our awesome AT&T Advanced Messaging?"

That's completely bonkers... 

Yes, I would love to see RCS support and Google is making a big push to integrate it into Android Q and it is already available on their own Pixel line if the phone has the right version of Android Messages (Beta) and Android Q (Beta). I believe both of these are necessary at this point. Other android phones are planned to be supported in the roll out later on depending on OS version and hardware.