Release notes

This page provides information about changes in RCS Business Messaging.

April 15, 2025

New

  • To help simplify the agent launch process, now you can request agent launch from the Developer Console without providing evidence of user opt-in. Note that solution providers are still responsible for securing user opt-in before sending RBM messages.

March 25, 2025

New

Coming soon

  • Open beta release of the unsubscribe and resubscribe feature for RBM conversations within Google Messages.

Key features

  • Unsubscribe/Subscribe options (replace Block & report at the bottom of the chat): Users can easily opt-out or opt-in to conversations.
  • Webhook event notifications: Partners receive UNSUBSCRIBE and SUBSCRIBE requests via new webhook events.
  • Unsubscribe reasons: Users can provide a reason when unsubscribing, and have the option to report spam. The existing Block & report spam option remains available in the chat menu.

Benefits

  • Actionable insights: Partners and carriers gain insights into user engagement with business messages.
  • Enhanced user experience: Users have greater control over the messages they receive, reducing unwanted messages and improving overall satisfaction with RCS.
  • Brand integrity: Helps businesses maintain a positive brand image by respecting user preferences and promoting ethical messaging practices.

Availability

  • The Unsubscribe and Subscribe options will be available for:
    • RBM messages in the United States, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
    • A2P SMS or MMS messages in the United States from short codes (phone numbers with 5-6 digits) and alphanumeric senders.

March 4, 2025

Changed

  • If a user whose device doesn't support webviews opens a link to a web page in the messaging app, the web page now opens in the user's browser instead.

March 4, 2025

New

  • To align with the GSMA RCC.07 specification, a new messageTrafficType field has been added to the RBM API. This field lets you specify the use case, or "traffic type," of each message (for example: authentication, transaction, and promotion types of traffic). By identifying the traffic type of each message, this field will make it possible for one agent to support multiple use cases.

What do you need to do?

  • To set the message traffic type, use the messageTrafficType field in the RBM API when sending messages.
  • The field is currently optional, but we strongly recommend that you start using it now, to avoid future errors when the field becomes required.

February 24, 2025

Changed

100 MiB combined file attachment limit per message to US numbers

  • To improve the user experience and prevent unexpected data consumption, a 100 MiB size limit has been implemented for the total combined size of all media and PDF attachments within a single RBM message sent to US phone numbers. This limit applies exclusively to RBM traffic on US carriers.
  • Agents operating in multiple countries, such as Canada and the US, are only subject to this limit when sending messages to US phone numbers.

February 11, 2025

Changed

For improved error handling, the RBM platform has updated its error responses for failed phones.getCapabilities and phones.agentMessages.create requests. Specifically, the platform now returns a 404 Not Found error code in all scenarios where the target user or network is not reachable or configured for RCS.

New 404 error behavior:

  • The RBM platform will now return a 404 NOT_FOUND error code in the following situations:
    • A capability check or a message is sent to a user whose device doesn't support RCS or doesn't have RCS enabled.
    • A capability check or a message is sent to a user on a network where the agent is not launched or where RCS traffic is not enabled.

Change from 403 error:

  • Previously, a 403 PERMISSION_DENIED error was returned when sending capability checks or messages to RCS users on networks where the agent was not launched or RCS traffic was not enabled.

Impact on developers: Developers should update their error handling logic to correctly interpret 404 errors in response to phones.getCapabilities and phones.agentMessages.create.

February 4, 2025

Documentation enhancement

  • A new Rich card guide provides specifications for rich cards and carousels. Understanding these specs is essential for creating engaging and functional rich cards in Google Messages. Key updates include:

    • Clarified media support (image and video formats, sizing, and aspect ratios).

    • Detailed character limits for titles, descriptions, and suggested replies and actions.

    • Explanation of vertical and horizontal rich card layouts.

    • Specifications for carousels, including sizing and content limits.

    • Guidance on handling content truncation and whitespace.

January 29, 2025

Documentation enhancement

We've made several improvements to the RBM billing documentation.

December 23, 2024

New

  • RBM supports SMS deeplinks, allowing users to start a conversation with your agent from a URL. By embedding the URL as a link, button, or QR code in emails, websites, apps, or even physical locations, you can provide users with a frictionless way to connect with your agent.

December 19, 2024

Changed

  • RBM now supports two formats for phone numbers in the chatbot information: either the full E.164 format (for example, "+12223334444") or an unformatted local/toll-free phone number without '+', prefix, or country code (for example, "6502530000"). Emergency numbers are not allowed.

December 18, 2024

Changed

  • The bulk capability check now requires between 500 and 10,000 unique phone numbers per request. Requests with fewer than 500, more than 10,000, or duplicate numbers will now return an error. For lists exceeding 10,000 numbers, split your requests into batches of 10,000 or fewer.

November 1, 2024

Changed

  • We have fully transitioned to the partner-based RBM model. The legacy RBM model has been deprecated, and the associated documentation has been removed. The partner-based model enables the following:

October 31, 2024

Changed

  • The URLs provided in the Open URL suggested action will be rejected if they don't conform to the URI syntax as defined in RFC 3986.

October 21, 2024

New

  • The Open URL suggested action now supports webviews, allowing users to open a specified web page (such as a payment platform) right in the messaging app.
  • Webviews can display in full-, half-, or tall-screen mode. For more information, see What can agents do?.

New

  • A new suggested action to compose messages opens the user's messaging app to send a text, audio, or video message to a predefined phone number, such as Customer Support. See Compose messages for code samples and screenshots.

August 30, 2024

New

RBM agents can now send audio files for more accessible and engaging interactions:

  • Improve accessibility: Enable communication for users with visual impairments, literacy challenges, or motor skill limitations.
  • Enhance customer service: Help users troubleshoot technical issues by offering audio guides, or live advice, with step by step instructions.
  • Support multilingual customers: Enable communication in customers' preferred languages—especially valuable for travel or hospitality services.
  • Express your brand's personality: Add an element of fun with character voices and sound effects, great for the media and entertainment industries.

See Supported media types for details on compatible audio formats.

August 1, 2024

New

We've clarified the brand verification and agent launch process (the process itself has not fundamentally changed):

  • More intuitive Developer Console experience: New instructions in the Verification tab clarify that verification information is required before you can submit the agent for its first launch. To prevent confusion, the Launch tab is now disabled until verification information is provided.
  • To ensure that verification is always performed with the most accurate data:
  • To explain how brand verification works: A new brand verification FAQ covers frequently asked questions.

New

  • You can no longer edit your Partner name or Display name in the partner account settings. To request a change to these names, contact rbm-support@google.com.

April 1, 2024

New

  • Now you can view an agent's launch history in the RBM consoles. Historical data is available from March 7, 2024 onwards.
  • To view the most recent change in launch status, see the agent Overview. For a historical record of launch status updates, see Agent history. Details include what the change was, who made it, when, and (in the case of suspension or rejection) why.

March 26, 2024

New

  • Now all partners using the partner-based RBM model have access to the RBM Management API. This API replicates the capabilities of the Developer Console, so partners can programmatically do the following by API:
    • Create brands and agents
    • List all agents created for a brand
    • Retrieve and edit agent information
    • Submit agents for brand verification and retrieve the verification status
    • Submit agents for launch on selected carriers and retrieve the launch status
    • Add and remove agent webhook integrations

New

  • Carriers (and partners working on behalf of carriers) now have access to the RBM Operations API for managing RBM agent approvals on their networks. This API replicates the capabilities of the Administration Console, so mobile network operators can programmatically do the following by API:
    • Get a list of all RBM agents submitted for launch on their network
    • Review agent information
    • Retrieve agent launch status and questionnaire
    • Launch or reject pending agents
    • Suspend and terminate live agents

February 27, 2024

New

  • In your agent information, now you can provide either an email contact or a phone number. (Only one form of contact is required, though both are encouraged.)

New

  • Now you can use RBM to send one-time passwords (OTPs) for automatic user verification in apps that are registered with the SMS Retriever API.
    • By leveraging the SMS Retriever API, you can streamline user verification without extra development work.
    • Users benefit from a faster, smoother verification process due to improved latency, higher verification success rates, and the convenience of automatic OTP entry.

December 21, 2023

New

  • Now partners who register with RBM gain access to the partner-based RBM model. The partner-based model enables the following:
    • Creation of a partner account to centralize management of all the partner's agents
    • Ability for multiple users to access partner and agent data through the Developer Console (with full edit access or read-only access)
    • Use of a partner-level service account so that all the agents share the same credentials to access the RBM API
    • Ability to configure webhooks at the partner level or agent level
    • Full use of the Management API when it launches (it's currently available in an Early Access Program)

December 20, 2023

Changed

  • You can no longer delete an RBM agent.

December 8, 2023

Changed

November 29, 2023

New

  • Message expiration is critical for time-sensitive messages like OTPs, urgent notifications, reminders, and limited-time offers. Now you can simplify your developer logic and set a message expiration to help ensure that messages are delivered on time. By setting the new expiration field, you can revoke messages automatically if they're not delivered by a certain time and then reroute them to a fallback channel.

November 13, 2023

New

  • Now your agent can send a PDF file by uploading the file or specifying a publicly available URL.

October 16, 2023

New

September 30, 2023

New

  • Google has extended RBM reachability to users with more unstable connectivity. As a result, you may see higher message delivery rates and higher delivery latency to these users. To ensure that users still receive their messages on time, set a message expiration or manually revoke messages and send them through an alternate channel.

July 03, 2023

Changed

June 23, 2023

New

May 10, 2023

New

  • RBM's new integration with Google Wallet lets you issue boarding passes through a rich conversation in Messages by Google. This means that users of Wallet and Messages can complete the check-in process, receive their boarding pass, and add it to their wallet entirely from Google's Messages app.
  • A new use case describes how to seamlessly add a boarding pass to Google Wallet from Google's Messages app. The use case includes a sample conversation with technical steps and design tips for a complete check-in flow.

April 14, 2023

New

April 13, 2023

New

  • Added C# code snippet for Pub/Sub pull.

Changed

April 11, 2023

Changed

  • First C# sample updated to Visual Studio 2019 and latest library dependencies.

December 13, 2022

New

Changed

November 15, 2022

Changed

New

  • The use case is now a required field for agent creation that identifies the nature of the RBM conversations and helps businesses comply with business rules.

New

  • Block and report is now more visible to users with the new persistent and dismissable user interface affordance.

November 3, 2022

New

  • RBM developer registration. Google Accounts used by RBM developers must now be tied to corporate email addresses and not Gmail accounts.

November 02, 2022

New

August 26, 2021

New

  • The agentId field identifies the agent a user-generated message or event belongs to. See Receive messages and Events.

May 03, 2021

New

Changed

April 2, 2020

New

  • RBM agents can now set a fallbackUrl for DialAction, ViewLocationAction, CreateCalendarEventAction, and ShareLocationAction for clients that don't support the native application. See the guide and reference.
  • All samples and client libraries updated for fallbackUrl support. See samples.

December 20, 2019

New

  • RBM agents can now upload media file binaries in addition to uploading files by URL. See the guide and reference.

December 2, 2019

New

  • The Bulk Capability Check Script (Sign in to download) demonstrates how to use the RBM SDK to check a large set of devices for RBM capability. To run this script against devices that aren't registered as testers, your agent must be launched.

Changed

  • Capability checks now covers configuration and usage for the Bulk Capability Check Script.
  • Samples now includes a Tools section.