Chances are you’re already familiar with Messages by Google. But you might not know it’s powered by Rich Communication Services (RCS), the modern industry standard for messaging that takes your chats with other Android users to the next level.

Here are just a few of the capabilities RCS unlocks:

When using Messages to text with other people who have RCS enabled, all of your texts (including those in group chats), will be protected with end-to-end encryption. That means no one, not even Google, can see your messages.

If you have a group you regularly chat with, give it a fun name in order to distinguish it from other groups while adding a personal touch. To add more people to a group, simply tap the three-dot menu at the top-right to select from your contacts. You can use the same technique to remove someone as well. And if you want out yourself, you can leave a group at any time.

Avoid communication confusion with threaded replies on Messages. When you’re in an RCS chat, you can respond directly to specific individual messages. The whole group will be able to see your message, but everyone will know exactly who and what you’re responding to.

You’ll never have to wonder if your chat disappeared into the void when you’re in an RCS conversation. When someone sees your message, you’ll see a checkmark underneath it. And when someone’s typing a response to your message, you’ll see three dots that indicate they’re typing.

Go beyond the thumbs-ups. RCS allows you to react to texts with all the available Android emojis, so you can express just about any mood you’re feeling. To open the full menu of options, simply tap and hold any message, then tap the emoji all the way to the right (the one with the plus sign on it).

No signal? No problem. With RCS, you can send and receive messages as long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi. Yes, this means no more climbing up the hill behind your remote vacation rental in search of more bars.

RCS may already be enabled in Messages, but if not, you can easily turn it on. From the app, tap your profile picture or icon, select “Messages settings,” followed by “RCS chats,” and then use the toggle to “Turn on RCS chats.” And if not everyone in your chat has RCS, don’t worry – you can still communicate over SMS or MMS.