Keeping you safe online means protecting your information and respecting your privacy. That’s why we focus on keeping your information secure, treating it responsibly, and keeping you in control within Google Messages and in every product we make.
Your information is protected by world-class security.
- For general information about privacy on Google Messages, keep reading this article.
- For more about privacy tools, visit the Google Safety Center.
Important: To make sure your personal information isn't shared more widely than you intend, be aware of your Google Account privacy settings. The settings include when messaging people who aren't in your contacts. Learn how to change your account visibility.
A more secure & helpful experience for you
Your 1:1 and group chat messages with other Google Messages users are private and encrypted end-to-end by default
When you message someone who also has RCS chats turned on in Google Messages, your chat conversations automatically upgrade to end-to-end encryption. With end-to-end encryption, no one can read the content sent between you and the other person.
- For more information: Use end-to-end encryption in Google Messages
- For details on how end-to-end encryption works: How end-to-end encryption in Google Messages provides more security
Your contacts
We use information about your contacts to identify if they are available to chat. This makes it easier for you to send messages.
Your location
When you choose to share your location in Google Messages, Google Messages collects your location. To turn off location collection, you can remove location permissions for Google Messages in your device settings.
Google Messages uses data to improve your experience
To improve Google Messages’ performance and reliability, and to help with troubleshooting issues, Google Messages collects performance data, crash logs, and diagnostics. We also use this information to help prevent abuse of our services.
Certain features, like spam detection, require that Google Messages use additional data to improve those features and Google's other products and services.
- How Google Messages improves suggestions with federated technology when the "Help improve Messages" setting is turned on
- Report spam
Google Messages doesn’t use your content for advertising
Google Messages doesn’t use information collected in our app for advertising.
Related resources
All accounts
Privacy in Google Messages
- How RCS chats keep your conversations secure
- How end-to-end encryption in Google Messages provides more security
- Your chats stay private with Google Assistant in Google Messages
- Your chats stay private with automatic previews
- Your chats stay private with spam detection
- How Google Messages improves suggestions with federated technology
- Have safer chats with businesses that send Verified SMS