Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Users report that dual-SIM RCS features have been spotted in Google Messages with the latest beta update.
- The feature has been spotted twice before, but Google stopped the rollout for reasons unknown.
Google Messages has become the torchbearer for RCS messaging on Android, so it’s fair to expect the app to pack some key features. Users have been demanding dual-SIM RCS features for a while now, and Google seems to be working on it too. Dual-SIM RCS was spotted on Google Message early this year, but Google didn’t roll it out widely. It appeared once again in August, but again, Google didn’t roll it out widely. Now, the feature has landed once again, and we hope third time’s the charm.
Reddit user meter1060 spotted that RCS was working on both their SIMs in the latest Google Messages beta, specifically v20241018, in Canada. Another user, NadeemAltaf, also got it working on their device in Pakistan on the same beta.
While these users have had good luck, many others have commented on Reddit that they don’t yet see the feature on their phones. So, it’s likely that Google has to switch a server-side flip for the feature to go live.
Interestingly, one of the users has the “Backup format for sending attachments” option set to “SMS with a link,” while the other screenshot does not have that option. This setting seems to be related to the Google Photos integration that was removed from the Messages app last year. This integration allowed users to upload media to the cloud and share it as a link to avoid compression.
Google hasn’t shared any progress report on when dual-SIM RCS will arrive, why it keeps pulling the feature back, or if it is even going to come to stable in the first place. A wider beta rollout is a stepping stone to an eventual stable release, but it seems Google keeps finding issues to iron out.
We’ve reached out to Google for a comment. We’ll update this article when we learn more.
Do you have dual-SIM RCS on your phone with the Google Messages app? Which app version are you on? Let us know in the comments below!