Google Messages app to stop working on uncertified Android devices in March

The Google Messages app has become very popular among Android users due to its rich functionality, including support for RCS messages and a convenient web client. It has now become known that the search giant is planning to ban its operation on uncertified Android devices.

For a device running the Android operating system to be officially considered an Android device, it must be certified by Google before release. Certified devices come with pre-installed Google services and the Google Play app store. Previously, it was possible to manually install Google services on uncertified smartphones, until two years ago the company banned logging into a Google account from such devices. Now in the code of the Google Messages app, lines were found containing a notification that it will stop working on uncertified devices from March 31st. However, such smartphones are rare, however, Huawei devices released after the entry into force of US sanctions against the company are a prime example.

One possible reason for this change might be the recent addition of end-to-end encryption to the application. Google said last year that owners of Huawei phones should not use third-party modifications to Google services because uncertified devices have failed security checks. This means that encrypted messages on these devices can potentially be compromised.