Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Google Messages app now lets users send texts to themselves via RCS.
- The app previously restricted users to SMS when texting themselves.
- This means you can now send long text messages, high-quality photos/videos, and more to yourself.
Google Messages is the go-to app if you want RCS messaging on your Android phone, and it’s received a variety of additions in recent months. However, it looks like the app recently got a tweak that’s gone under the radar until now.
Android Authority contributor AssembleDebug and Telegram user Aniruddh noticed that the Google Messages beta (messages.android_20250210_01_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic) now lets you text yourself via RCS. I was able to try this on my Pixel 7 Pro running the same Google Messages beta version and can confirm that texts sent to my own number were sent and received via RCS. Note the read receipts and “RCS message” text in the text field.
Previously, texts sent to yourself via Google Messages were sent as SMS messages. But switching to RCS means you can send longer texts, higher-quality photos/videos, and a variety of files to yourself. It’s worth noting that RCS messages sent to your own number aren’t encrypted, though.
Many users send texts and media to themselves via WhatsApp, Telegram, and other messaging apps to save notes, photos, audio files, and more. So we’re glad to see a similar capability here. Sure, you could also just use apps like Google Drive or Google Keep, but we’re happy to have an alternative solution.
