Google Voice. Google Hangouts. Google Allo. All attempts by the team over at Android made to change the way Android users communicate with one another.

However, these attempts have found little return for their efforts as most users found the solutions either too clunky are were unwilling to shift from their current mode of communication, as oftentimes, the alternatives provided better experiences and many more features.

In a last-ditch effort to remedy this problem, Google has announced a whole new SMS protocol called Google Chat, hoping for its adoption by all major carriers and other smaller ones to foster this new protocol across all Android devices universally.

With support for this standard coming to every Android phone at release, what does this mean for those who own one?

Google Chat is a Rich Communication Service, or RCS, that provides cross-platform communication and rich text formatting. So, that means you can send your friends messages that contain text formatted in bold, italics, underline, and variable sizes.

Think of Google Chat as the iMessage for Android, but less secure and has fewer features.

Additionally, Google Chat is not a new app, —though it does iterate on Android’s existing messaging app, Android Messages—but a carrier service.

In essence, it hitches a ride on your carrier’s data plan and sends a message through there. If data is unavailable, the Android Messages app and any other app that supports the standard will fall back to SMS.

This new standard brings promise to Google’s initiative to bring a better texting experience to Android, bidding adieu the days of low-quality pictures and video and bad group text experiences.