Samsung Galaxy Watch users, get ready to send RCS messages directly from your wrist soon. Google is actively gearing up to bring standalone RCS capabilities to Wear OS smartwatches through a Google Messages app update.
Currently, smartwatches based on Wear OS, like Galaxy Watches (Galaxy Watch4, Watch5, Watch6, Watch7, and Watch Ultra), cannot send RCS messages independent of a phone connection. Now, it seems that this limitation will no longer be in existence since Google is working on introducing standalone RCS capabilities to Wear OS smartwatches via Google Messenger app updates.
According to Android Authority Teardown APK, Google Messages v20240926 beta has added some flags that directly point out standalone RCS is on the way to making its reach to Wear OS smartwatches. Reportedly, the two flags stand for enabling RCS and its settings, and the other is for enabling voice messages.
If this prediction comes true, then it will be a countable change from the current scene. Currently, on Wear OS, the Google Messages app relies on phones to send and receive RCS messages. This means that if the phone loses the connection, the watch will no longer be able to use RCS.
On the other side, RCS on Android smartphones has been celebrated, and RCS through smartwatches is quite obviously an afterthought because of the relatively smaller user base interested in the feature. However, finally, it seems that Google will allow users to send and receive RCS messages independently of their phones by introducing standalone RCS on Wear OS smartwatches.
