Google Chat, free alternative of Whatsapp?

They have finally arrived for all users of Messages for Android (Google Chat Whatsapp for free?) , at least those of France, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States, the "Chat functionality". We are talking about the now famous RCS messages, evolution of old SMS.

Google announced the rollout global of his new chat, with which he aims to do competition with Telegram, WhatsApp and Apple's iMessage making use of the RCS (Rich Communication System) protocol. The new Google chat, in theory, is already available in Italy but, in practice, still no Italian mobile operator really supports messages RCS. Here, therefore, there is still to wait while in other countries, Google has officially started to compete with the aforementioned apps. Waiting for our telephone operators to decide to marry this new technology, let's see what it is, how to activate it and, above all, why do it.

Google Chat: how to activate it

Google Chat, in reality, it does not exist: there is the chat functionality within the Google Messages app, which is also used to send and receive traditional SMS. However, if the user is connected to a mobile operator that supports the RCS protocol, then he can take advantage of the "Chat functionality”Included in the app. To do this, however, he must update the Messages and Operator Services apps to the latest version. Then it must set Messages as the default app also to read and send SMS. At this point you must check if your operator already supports RCS: just open the Messages app and go up Settings> Chat features. If everything is ok, then the user can use it the Messages app like WhatsApp or Telegram.

Google Chat: the advantages

The RCS protocol offers users the same functionality already tested on the many instant messaging apps: free sending of messages, possibility of knowing if the other has received and displayed the message, possibility of knowing if he is writing a reply, group chat etc etc. As for the free messages, however, there is a clarification: exchange messages with the "Chat functionality"From Google Messages it costs nothing if we are under Wi-Fi coverage. Otherwise if the exchange of messages takes place under coverage of mobile data, then the operator may charge costs.