This RCS and Gemini Hack saved me from paying for overpriced wi-fi in the plane

I often choose the good compromise with the free “message” 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 research at the last minute, so I wanted some form of connection. Then it fell up for me: it is Gemini in Google messagesAnd it works over RCS! Can it bypass Wi-Fi during flying and let me search the web and ask time-sensitive questions? Just a way to find out.

I linked to Air Frank’s free messaging service, which clearly shows the restrictions on this plan: no pictures (more on this later), videos or audio files, no e -mail messages, no browsing or social media, no streaming and no calls. Text messages via message apps are the only benefit.

When I was connected, I switched to Google messages and tapped the floating Gemini button to start a call with Google AI. I know Chatbot has improved a lot recently and now has access to real-time data, so I asked the first question that came to mind: List today’s top 10 most interesting Android/Google Tech news. Then I held my breath.

Can I get more details than just a title? I asked that tell me more about Use OS -ending that suggests Gemini supportAnd the list of phones that get a UI 7 in the United States. It answered all these questions, although it listed both phones that had already received a UI 7 a week earlier, as well as those who got it then.

I was excited. This felt like having access to the entire Internet without the need to open a browser, and as to stick up a giant middle finger to overpriced Wi-Fi in the plane. Just ask Gemini instead of opening a website.

I kept it and asked random questions about the duration of the flight, the current time in Budapest, where you can buy the 15-day public transport ticket, whether you say “Isle” or “Aisle” in an aircraft, and how to get from the Budapest airport to my hotel near the Astoria area. Gemini gave me a Google Maps coupling for the last one, thinking that I wanted directions with live bus times, but since I couldn’t browse that link, I formulated my request differently and forced it to give me more general information about the bus line and the ticket price.

That’s where I felt more calm and started planning a few details about my trip. I knew the weather predicted a storm for the next few days in Budapest, but I wanted to visit Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion in decent weather. So I asked about the ideal time to go, given the weather and adjusted it with my existing plans.

When I was bored of tour planning, I swung to football, asked about ongoing La Liga games and their results (it got the score correct, but not the player or time), Real Madrids and FC Barcelona’s next game, their probable line-ups, and news and rumors of Madrid damage and transfers.

It was so fun to ask the Internet in a simple message app web pages to load, no links to click, just back and forth questions and answers with Gemini over RCS in Google messages. It felt like I had hacked the system and broken the rules, but I played them, fair and square. I just sent SMS, and if the recipient of my texts happens to be an all -knowing AI, Air France has no control over it, right?

The boundaries of Gemini in Google messages as a browsing chopping

The first answer I got from Gemini was wondering how to read the humongous uniform text block. It turns out that Gemini formats its answers properly, but takes some time to do it. On the slow flight connection, I had to swipe out of my chat and then go back in to see the same answer with the right formatting of bold, emphasize, bullets and – price sky – line breaks!

Nevertheless, links could not be drained or previewed. Loading preview requires a proper internet connection, and it seemed to be outside Air Frankes free Wi-Fi allocation.

I quickly discovered that photos worked on this free plan, even though Air France’s warning clearly states that they are not. They only took a long time to send and receive in my conversations with friends. So I decided to share photos with Gemini as well, and ask them about them. I sent a cat image and asked it about the breed then I gave it a screenshot of one Pebblebee Bluetooth Tracker in Google Find Unit And asked for help with the exact location, including land and city. These responded.

Perhaps the biggest test was to see if Gemini could send me pictures. I tried everything I could think about, but it wouldn’t. Again, this is a limit of Gemini in Google messages, whether you are on a high-speed unlimited compound or a slow, limited plan on the aircraft. Google’s AI only sends links to images, which load small previews if you are on a good connection, but do not do it on Wi-Fi on bare messages. It does not associate pictures with you, as normal people would. I hoped this would help me browse the Internet more by asking for photos or even screens of websites, but alas it didn’t work.

For what it’s worth, I tried both chatgpt and meta ai in whatsapp, and they all had a very similar limitation with images, so this is not a Gemini problem in itself. It seems that all AI -Chatbots can’t really attach photos or videos and send them to you. They only send links and depend on previews to help you see things.

On the way back from Budapest to Paris, I did similar tests with chatgpt and meta ai in WhatsApp. That’s how I could follow the Europa League and the conference semi -final score from the plane (Meta Ai got it right, chatgpt was useless for this), check the weather in Paris on landing time and start making weekend plans.

Once again it was a pretty fun and streamlined experiment, like talking to the world’s knowledge-ELE nerd over text messages. Obviously there were actual errors and some minor hallucinations – it’s a problem with all AI -Robots, still – so I wouldn’t rely on any of these answers with my life. But for short -term planning, a little light surfing and research and local questions, you cannot beat the free price or enormous convenience.

I plan to stick to the free Wi-Fi plan with free messages for my next trips, and I suggest you do it too, especially if they are shorter flights. In long moves, which I almost never take, a proper connection for decent work or research will still be necessary. That is, until Air France rolls out its promised free Wi-Fi for all upgrading this summer, and I hope other airlines follow suit, so we don’t need Hacky ways to keep in touch in the air.