Google celebrates 30 years of SMS messaging by announcing end-to-end encryption for Google Messages app

Google Messages is inching closer to becoming a complete solution for messaging exchanges between Android users, with the latest update allowing SMS messages to be replaced with encrypted message exchanges.

After failing with its attempt to impose its own social network, Google is on a new, less ambitious attempt, trying to break the WhatsApp – Facebook Messenger monopoly by turning the native Android messaging app into a complete communication solution. Already, Google Messages allows communication via video calls, or voice calls. But Google’s efforts are more about pleasing users who rely on text-based communications, by turning the SMS app accessible directly from the home screen of Android phones into as complete an instant messaging solution as possible.

That’s how Google Messages already supports turning SMS message exchanges into much more “relaxed” instant-message-based conversations, with no character limit and support for inserting emoji. The only detail missing until now was the guarantee of complete privacy. Google fixes that, too, by implementing end-to-end encryption technology for all message exchanges carried with the Messages app.

The feature is currently only available to users enrolled in the Messages beta testing program, with the feature expected to be widely enabled only later next year.

What’s certain is that you’ll soon be able to turn any SMS message exchange into an encrypted connection-mediated conversation.