Google Messages preparing WhatsApp-like multi-device support

It looks like Google is preparing a very useful update for Google Messages that will allow you to access messages and RCS chats across multiple devices.

Currently, you can’t read, send, or receive messages on Google Messages on any other device except your primary phone on which you use the app. There is a workaround, but it requires you to access Messages for Web on a mobile browser on your other device. Google is apparently removing this limitation and will soon allow you to use the Google Messages app itself across multiple devices.

According to strings of code found in Google Messages by feature hunter AssembleDebug, Google will use your phone number and Google account to set up Google Messages across multiple devices. This makes sense since RCS chats are linked to your phone number, which Google verifies when you opt-in for the feature on Google Messages.

Once Google activates the new multi-device feature, you should be able to use Google Messages on other devices like your secondary phone or Android tablet without physically swapping your primary SIM into those devices. It seems similar to how WhatsApp’s multi-device connectivity feature works. WhatsApp lets users sync messages across four devices. It’s unclear how Google will handle this and if there will be a limit to the number of devices where users can access Google Messages.

We also don’t know when Google will introduce the feature, but we’ll keep an eye out as this is going to be a big one and an important update for Google Messages users.