this post was submitted on 01 Mar 2024

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307

Google is quietly blocking RCS on rooted devices. (support.google.com)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 77 points 8 months ago (9 children)

I always disliked RCS, I kept telling people it's a walled garden, mainly controlled by Google

[–] [email protected] 24 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Even so you'd think they'd want to get as many people as possible on board with RCS to increase adoption, not fewer.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Then what they're doing tells us all we need to know.

Google wants to control what data they can glean from RCS users.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

I agree. You're much better off just using Signal. It's not federated/decentralized, but all client apps, the protocol and the server code are completely open source and anyone can fork the project. It also works on every platform, its encryption protocol is the most secure one out there and it's been around for over 10 years. They also recently added some cool new privacy features.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Ok good. But then there's the problem of actually convincing people to use Signal. A messaging app is pointless if nobody else wants to use it.

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[+] [email protected] 61 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] 78 points 8 months ago (8 children)

We really need to move away from the idea that a user having control over his/her device is insecure.

I can use online banking and paypal with windows logged in as administrator or GNU/Linux logged in as root[0], why shouldn't I be able to use google ~~wallet~~ ~~pay~~ wallet with root?

[0] yes I know you shouldn't log in as root, but that doesn't change that you can do it.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago

"why shouldn't I be able to use google wallet pay wallet with root?" Because little innocent Google won't be able to build their advertising profile of you. Can't have that!

[–] [email protected] 21 points 8 months ago

No my friend, our overloads have decided that you shouldn't have control over your desktop either.

[+] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

Tried installing the most recent WhatsApp update but it's failing. I think a virus is blocking the update, better try again with secure browsing off...

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I must be missing something. How would Google be at all liable for restoring funds stolen by software that they themselves didn't furnish, on a device that's out of their control?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

A judge may not see it that way. They may perceive it as Google failing to provide adequate protections to their users.

If user installed the app created by Google and did not share any login credentials. It's easy to claim Google is liable.

The equivalent would be a bank leaving the back door to their vault open. An intruder going in and removing your funds. Despite following all the banks instructions, the bank has not replaced the funds.

The banks is responsible for people gaining unauthorised access to your account. Especially when you don't share your login credentials with anyone (even unknowingly). If they can't protect against root access attacks then, they shouldn't permit use of their app on those devices.

Apps have convenience features, especially related to easy sign in. Their website logins don't have these features. They require the user to enter passwords, challenge codes, card reader etc. If someone gets access to a password manager, the user is at fault. The bank likely stated you shouldn't write down or record your password.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

I'm not even rooted and gpay keeps breaking on crdroid for me, despite passing safetynet. I've given up and just got another credit card that I can use with my garmin watch that works every time without the hassle.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Does rooting your device make you the root user or just gives you access to superuser utilities?

In linux systems the root user shouldn't be used for daily use, you just make an user account with permission to use sudo, doas or su.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago (8 children)

If you root your phone, at least with most tools, you don't become the root user. Apps that use root access have to request it, and you'll have to allow it in the root tool you flashed.

Example pop-up from SuperSU:

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

So google is lying about rooted devices, they seem as secure as an OEM letting an user sideload apps or google themselves letting malware apps inside their store

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 8 months ago

The standard seems to be complete and utter garbage. It was garbage from the very beginning, which is why I never understood why people were getting so incredibly hyped up about RCS support.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 8 months ago

Good standard you have there. Good features are proprietary to Google and you can't use it while rooted.

Lmao

[–] [email protected] 33 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Every day I am attracted more and more by PinePhone. At least as a secondary device, at first.

Perhaps it's not even close to polished yet with existing distributions, but at least it isn't made to be shitty.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Seems like a decently attractive option. I wish more apps were/had PWA alternatives and I'd be good

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago

I was wondering why RCS just stopped working the other day

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I don't know why, but that a sad news :/

[–] [email protected] 19 points 8 months ago

Good news.

The more people they keep from using this garbage "standard", the better.

It still requires a phone number. It still falls back to SMS, it still fails, a LOT - just see the comments in this thread.

It's 20 years too late.

XMPP was better, in 2010, than RCS is today. I was using XMPP on my phone in 2010, messaging people on computers, seamlessly. Without a phone number. On multiple services using Pidgin.

No thanks, I don't want this garbage called RCS.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I don't get the RCS hype. I already have apps for rich messaging and RCS offers nothing for me over those apps. What I do appreciate is SMS, which is posed to be killed-off by RCS. I can rely on SMS even when there is no data signal, can't say that for RCS. I wish I had a way to permanently disable RCS on my Pixel 6a, instead I have to keep rejecting the 'upgrade to RCS' dialog.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

My husband and I were having an issue yesterday sending an RCS message, they were never getting delivered. They ended up being sent via SMS. It cleared up after an hour or so

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