What used to be a quiet space for chats with friends and family is now the next frontier for mobile ads. We have RCS functionality in both Google Messages and Samsung Messages. With iOS 18, iPhones also support RCS natively. Lately, these apps, including Google Messages, have been seeing a surge of promotional content and ads, thanks to the rise of RCS. And worse, it does not look like this trend will slow down anytime soon.
There are just too many flashy ads on Google Messages right now, and who’s to blame?
This week, a flashy new RCS campaign launched in North America, thanks to a partnership between Google, Clerk Chat, and major carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. One standout example came from the Los Angeles Rams, Reddit user Judy_Gamble reported (via PhoneArena). Their interactive message had swipeable carousels, call-to-action buttons, and even ticket purchasing. It felt less like a text and more like using an app.
But this isn’t just an American thing. India is seeing flashy ads on Google Messages via RCS too. Although RCS isn’t very popular there and WhatsApp still rules, brands are still pushing rich-media ads through Google Messages. I don’t think this is slowing down anytime soon. It might just be getting started.
For businesses, this is a goldmine. But for regular users, it’s not so simple. These messages offer new ways to interact, but they also bring the risk of overwhelming us with marketing. Luckily, Google seems to get it and has added an unsubscribe button for RCS business messages. Still, as more companies try out this channel, your inbox might start to look more like an ad feed.
Maybe the only real fix is a way to opt out of all promotional messages. Otherwise, this could turn into a playground for scammers, and that’s a loss no one wants. Or do we?
