Overview
- Deployment has begun on fully managed Pixel phones and other Android Enterprise–administered devices, according to Google and outlet reports.
- Authorized archiving apps can connect to Google Messages to capture RCS activity when users send, receive, edit, or delete chats.
- The capability stores message content after it is decrypted on the device and also covers legacy SMS and MMS traffic.
- Google says the feature applies only to work-managed phones, leaves personal devices untouched, and displays a clear notification when active.
- Archiving vendors including Celltrust, Smarsh, and 3rd Eye already support the integration, while privacy advocates cite legal limits like Spain’s notice and proportionality rules and warn employees may shift to unauthorized apps such as WhatsApp or Signal.