Surely, and if you have an Android phone, you too must have noticed that sometimes a blue dot appears next to a contact name or a message. Yes, it drives us crazy too and no, it is not a visual glitch or something that appears randomly, it is a sign that you are using an advanced Android feature and you do not even know it!!
This means that you and the other person have RCS messaging features activated, the evolution of the old SMS that turns the Android app into something very similar to WhatsApp or iMessage. But do not worry, we are going to explain what it means, how you can activate it and why it is a good idea to have it on!
What does the blue dot mean on Android?
The blue dot appears next to certain contacts to indicate that both of you can use RCS (Rich Communication Services). It is a messaging system that allows sending photos and videos in high quality, sharing documents, seeing if the other person is typing or even knowing if they have already read your message. It is almost like another WhatsApp app or the iMessage that iOS users have.
What is RCS then?
An instant messaging application, you can send HD photos and videos, see if the other person is typing or if they have read what you sent and ignored you. The good thing about RCS is that you do not have to install a messaging app, it is integrated into your mobile phone.
How to activate RCS messages
Not all users have the blue dot in their conversations. For it to appear, both you and your contact must have RCS activated in the Google Messages app, if not, you will be talking through SMS.
If you want to make sure this option is enabled on your Android, open the Messages app and tap your profile icon (the one that appears at the top right). Enter “Message settings” and look for an option called “Chat features” or directly “RCS”. There you can enable it if your phone and carrier allow it.
On some phones, this option already comes enabled by default, as long as the carrier supports it. If you do not see the “Chat features” section anywhere, most likely your device is not compatible, or your carrier has not yet enabled the service.
What advantages do RCS messages have?
RCS are designed so that the experience on Android is as complete as iMessage on iPhone. As we told you, you can send large files without losing quality, it also works via internet (Wi-Fi or data) and it has reinforced security thanks to end-to-end encryption.
What happens if I deactivate the blue dot?
Nothing happens, Android does not force you for the moment, you can even have it activated with some contacts and with others not. You just have to open the conversation, tap the profile picture and enter that profile’s details, there you can choose if you want to use RCS or not with that person, if you do not want to, you will go back to normal SMS.
The future of messaging on Android?
Google has been betting strongly on RCS messages for a while and, although not all carriers in the world are compatible yet, they do not want to take long to turn the messaging app into a real rival for WhatsApp and Telegram, and for iOS devices.
So, now you know, if you see a blue dot in your app, you are chatting through RCS, it is not the future, it is Android finally modernizing!