Your Galaxy Watch may soon let you send RCS messages without needing a phone, as long as it has an active internet connection. Google is preparing to add standalone RCS support to Wear OS devices through Google Messages. The feature is currently in development and doesn’t have a release timeline.
Standalone RCS support may enhance messaging on the Galaxy Watch
RCS, aka Rich Communication Services, offers modern messaging features like typic indicators and read receipts for text messages without using third-party apps. You can also send larger files in high quality. It’s a massive evolution over the traditional SMS messaging standard. After a relentless push from Google, RCS is now widely available on Android and iOS, making messaging more interoperable and inclusive.
However, RCS currently only works on phones. If you use a smartwatch like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra, messages you send through it are rerouted via your connected phone. The messages do not go through if the connection to your phone is lost. While it’s understandable for Bluetooth watches, this is a real problem for LTE models. These watches are designed to let you leave the phone behind without losing connectivity.
Google may soon fix the problem. Android Authority spotted code strings hinting at standalone RCS support for Wear OS watches in Google Messages beta version 20240926. When rolled out, LTE-enabled watches should be able to connect to RCS servers on their own, without needing a paired phone nearby. Well, that’s if the watch has an active internet connection, which is a primary requirement for RCS messaging.
The evidence suggests that Wear OS will allow voice typing for RCS messages, a massive convenience on small-screen devices. Unfortunately, the feature appears to be in the early stages of development, so we might have to wait longer. Rumors suggest that Wear OS 5.1 may be in development. Maybe it’ll come as one of the new features of the new version, we shall find out in due course.
