Google Gemini Set for Major Upgrade with RCS Support and Enhanced App Integration

Google Gemini's next big trick could be RCS support

Google keeps improving the Gemini experience on Android with every passing month by adding new features and enhancing the existing ones. Recently, it started rolling out extension support in Gemini Live, with integration for third-party services in the pipeline. The company has now been spotted working on an even bigger improvement for Gemini: RCS support. Related Gemini can't come to Google's smart speakers soon enough If I hear one more 'Sorry, I didn't understand'... Posts 20 You can use Gemini to create images. Then, you can ask the AI chatbot to send the AI-generated picture to your friends or family through Google Messages. But instead of attaching the image, Gemini will send a blank URL to the recipient. This is due to the app relying on SMS instead of MMS or RCS. It seems Google is aware of this limitation and is working to fix it. Close While tearing down the latest Google app for Android (v16.25.44), the Android Authority team found references to Google working on fetching a device's RCS capabilities. This indicates the company plans to bring RCS support to Gemini. With RCS support, Google's AI chatbot can directly share AI-generated images, videos, and other content seamlessly through Google Messages. Admittedly, Google still has work to do on Gemini's multimedia handling. While you can ask the chatbot to share images via WhatsApp as well, it only sends a link and not the actual image. Hopefully, the company will also fix this problem while improving Gemini's multimedia sharing capabilities. How will Gemini's RCS integration improve the user experience? Gemini will eventually be capable of doing multiple tasks across apps based on a voice command. While this functionality exists today, it's currently limited in scope. With time, Google will further refine this feature, and RCS support will then come in handy to deliver a superior experience. For example, you could ask Gemini to send the last picture from your gallery to your wife. Or, share a PDF from Google Drive with your office colleagues. RCS support will enable Gemini to directly attach the image or file to a message instead of sending it as a link. If anything, Gemini will need this deep integration with other Android services and features to become a proactive AI assistant.

Gemini could get a major upgrade thanks to RCS support -- what that means for you

If you've ever tried to send text messages from Gemini, even through Google Messages, you may have noticed the AI can only send SMS text messages. It won't even send MMS messages, and as terrible the quality of those images is, it's still better than not being able to send anything. Fortunately things might be changing, with Android Authority uncovering clues that suggest Gemini will be getting RCS support in the near future. The code found in Google app v16.25.44 suggests that Gemini will gain the ability to "fetch RCS Capabilities" So while RCS itself isn't being baked into Gemini, this should allow the AI chatbot to interact with Google Messages and send messages via the more advanced messaging platform. That should open up a bunch more capabilities for Gemini. Not just sending images to your contacts, but all the other things RCS offers that Google currently says Gemini can't do. We're talking about creating or contributing to group chats, reacting to messages, sending GIFs and emojis, or even just having the option to send messages with end-to-end encryption. Though that last one will depend on what messaging platform your contacts use. RCS encryption is not available on iPhone, for example. As Android Authority notes, if RCS isn't available on both devices, then Gemini will likely fall back to SMS. Which, while better than nothing, isn't the most feature-rich or secure method of communicating. So the fact Gemini may be getting the ability to send RCS messages in the near future can only be a good thing. Unfortunately we don't know when it might happen. Android Authority notes that the feature is still a work in progress, and Google hasn't made any official announcements about it. But the fact code is present in the Google app means it should be on the way at some point -- and hopefully soon.

Google Gemini is set to become a significantly better phone assistant thanks to these two small upgrades

Google looks set to give Google Gemini some serious upgrades by allowing it greater access to your apps without forcing you to tweak your privacy settings, and giving it new abilities within those apps. You might have seen an email that Google sent to Android phone users stating that Gemini will be able to interact with the Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities apps, even if you have Gemini Apps Activity switched off. The immediate reaction was one of concern, but this is actually a huge privacy win. With Gemini Apps Activity switched on, Google can see an activity log of how you use Gemini - personal data it can then use to develop its products further. If you want to keep this data more private, you had to lose out on Gemini being able to access extensions, which allow it to perform actions using other apps, such as texting someone if you ask it to. This change means you can keep your activity log private while still not losing out on these basic smart assistant features, which Google's Assistant has had for years. Though that's not to say Google won't store any of your Gemini activity even if this setting is off. Google admits it will store some activity data for at most 72 hours. It's stored for 24 hours within Gemini so that the AI can respond to your conversations contextually. The longer limit is for security and safety reasons, which you can find out more about on Google's support page. RCS support incoming? Perhaps in preparation for Gemini having easy access to Messages - and so presumably more people using the app - Gemini is getting an RCS upgrade too, apparently. That's based on Android Authority's analysis of the latest Google app files, which hints at RCS coming to Gemini because the AI can fetch the device's RCS capabilities. This would only be necessary if the AI were RCS compatible. This is significant because currently, Gemini's inability to use RCS means it's unable to send or play audio, images, or video through the Google Messages app. With access to this messaging standard, that could very quickly change. As with similar leaks, there's no guarantee that Gemini will get RCS support any time soon (or at all), but it certainly makes plenty of sense as an upgrade, so it's one we'll be keeping our eye out for. You might also like