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This RCS and Gemini hack saved me from paying for overpriced in-flight Wi-Fi

Published on: 2025-07-19 21:30:05

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority On a recent flight from Paris to Budapest, I logged into Air France’s in-flight Wi-Fi and was faced with the same overpriced plans I’ve seen for years now. Dozens of euros to be connected during a long-haul flight might be justifiable if you need to get work done, but for a bit of light browsing and messaging on a short two-hour flight, some of the airline pricing doesn’t make any sense. I often pick the good compromise of the free “messaging” plan, which lets me chat on apps like WhatsApp and Google Messages (via RCS, not SMS) without paying a cent. But this time, I needed to do some quick last-minute research, so I wanted some form of connectivity. Then it occurred to me: There’s Gemini in Google Messages, and it works over RCS! Could it bypass the in-flight Wi-Fi and let me search the web and ask time-sensitive questions? Only one way to find out. Do you use Gemini in Google Messages? 230 votes Yes, all the time. 8 % From time to time. 20 % Rare ... Read full article.