Google Enables RCS Archiving on Company Pixels
Google now supports third-party archiving of RCS chats on fully managed Android Enterprise devices, specifically company-issued Pixels, to comply with regulatory requirements in various industries. This new feature allows employers to capture and preserve messages— including sending, receiving, editing, and deleting — from Google Messages while maintaining end-to-end encryption during message transit. This provides organizations in sectors such as finance, insurance, government, and public agencies with compliant and searchable communication records for audits, e-discovery, and legal processes.
Key Changes in RCS Archiving
An on-device interface enables authorized third-party archiving apps to access RCS message content and metadata directly on fully managed devices. Earlier methods relied on carrier logs or SMS-only data, which were insufficient with the growing adoption of encrypted RCS messaging. The local data capture ensures encryption integrity between participants while generating accurate message logs, including edits and deletions.
Importance of RCS Archiving for Compliance
Due to rising regulatory scrutiny and fines related to unarchived communications, enterprises must incorporate compliant messaging archival solutions. Google Messages, with over a billion monthly users employing RCS, can no longer represent a compliance gap. This feature ensures RCS message histories are archived on par with enterprise mail and chat systems.
How IT Admins Deploy RCS Archiving
- Use Android Enterprise management tools like Google Admin Console, Microsoft Intune, or VMware Workspace ONE to manage devices.
- Whitelist a compliant archiving app such as CellTrust SL2, Smarsh, or 3rd Eye.
- Set Google Messages as the default SMS/RCS application via managed configurations.
- Enable the archiving feature by specifying the archiving app in device policies.
- Ensure users receive clear notifications that message archiving is active.
- Verify the system captures all message events including sends, receives, edits, and deletions.
Scope and Limitations
The feature applies only to RCS (and SMS/MMS) within Google Messages on fully managed devices. It does not cover personal devices, work profiles, or third-party encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram. Transparent user notifications promote privacy awareness while maintaining compliance. SMS and MMS archiving may vary depending on carriers and device policies.
Implications for Users and Organizations
Employees should consider messaging on company-managed Pixels as subject to monitoring and avoid personal or sensitive conversations on these devices. For IT and compliance teams, the solution simplifies achieving regulatory adherence without compromising essential RCS features like read receipts and high-resolution media support. As RCS gains broader adoption, these controls position Google Messages as a secure and compliant enterprise communication tool.
