Google makes your text messages visible to your employers

Microsoft recently caused a stir with an upgrade to Teams that allowed companies to track when employees were inactive. Now Google has made a similar move for text messages. A new Android update means that RCS and SMS messages on work devices are no longer private.

According to Android Authority, Google is rolling out RCS Archival to Pixel phones and other Android devices, allowing employers to intercept and store RCS conversations. In practice, this means that an employer can read messages in the Google Messages app, even if they are protected by end-to-end encryption, if the device is managed by the company.

Personal devices remain unchanged, but in regulated industries, this simply extends existing SMS archiving to RCS. For many employees, texting has always seemed more secure than email, but that perception is now falling apart. The problem is understanding encryption: it protects messages in transit, but once they arrive on the phone, they are decrypted. Whoever controls the device has access to them.

Google describes the feature as a “reliable, Android-powered message archiving solution” that is also compatible with SMS and MMS. Employees will be clearly notified on their screen when archiving is active. For workers, the benefit of a work phone is suddenly less attractive. While email monitoring has long been expected, text messages have been considered private. Now, all companies, not just those in regulated sectors, can enable monitoring.

Google emphasizes that the update still brings the benefits of RCS, such as typing indicators, read receipts, and cross-device encryption, while ensuring regulatory compliance. However, there are concerns that employees will increasingly turn to apps like WhatsApp or Signal to avoid surveillance.

If you're using a work Android phone, you'll receive a notification that your messages are no longer as private as before.