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Android Authority

From tickets to brochures: Google Messages just stepped up with PDF support over RCS

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google has enabled PDF file sharing via rich cards in RCS Business Messaging through Google Messages. This addition enhances business-to-user communication by allowing flight tickets, passes, and documents to be sent through RCS, eliminating the need for email or other apps. However, the potential for an increase in spam remains a concern. PDF support has launched initially in India with a 100MiB attachment limit. Instant messaging apps took texting to the next level, but the wider rollout of RCS has practically killed off SMS outside of niche use cases. RCS serves most media needs quite seamlessly, but businesses still have to turn to emails or other IM apps if they need to send you a PDF. This is now changing, as Google has introduced PDF support for RCS Business Messaging. As Google announced, businesses can now send PDF files in rich cards through Google Messages. This opens up several more use cases for RCS, like receiving flight tickets, event passes, product brochures, and more through PDFs. This simple addition removes a few friction points, as you, as a user, no longer need to switch to a different IM app or email to receive the PDF from the business. We had previously spotted Google Messages working on its PDF preview, and as it turns out, this feature is intended for RCS Business Messaging. PDF files display a preview image based on the first page of the PDF file, even if a thumbnail is provided. Clicking the preview image opens the file in a PDF viewer. When a preview is not available (for example, when the file is password-protected), the PDF file displays the thumbnail image, or a default icon if a thumbnail isn't specified. While the move is generally positive, I can't help but notice that it could have some downsides. For users with a data cap, downloading a couple of big PDF files can quickly eat up a chunk of their data. Google is partially solving this problem by introducing a 100MiB attachment limit per message for all media, including PDF attachments, within a single RBM message. Sending PDF files through RCS messages is currently available for businesses in India, coincidentally also a market that has seen RCS Business Messaging used for ad spam, so the door is now open to add PDFs to the list too. We'll have to wait and watch how PDF adoption pans out, and if it will come to global markets. Follow