Apple is planning to adopt a messaging standard that will allow a smoother texting experience between iPhones and Android devices, long a point of contention with rival Google.
For years, Apple has refused to make its products play nice with devices not designed under its roof, a dynamic exemplified by the green background that is the hallmark of iPhone-to-Android chats.
The background is likely to remain, but Apple’s use of Rich Communication Services (RCS) from next year could enable read receipts between the two operating systems, as well as other features. iMessage will remain exclusive to iPhones and other Apple devices.
“Later next year, we will add support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard currently being published by the GSM Association. We believe RCS Universal Profile will provide a better interoperability experience compared to SMS or MMS,” Apple said in a statement first reported by 9to5Mac.
Apple has resisted adopting the RCS standard for years, despite pressure from Alphabet’s Google and others to do so. Just last year, a reporter whose mother used an Android asked Apple CEO Tim Cook if the company would improve the messaging relationship between the two. “Buy your mum an iPhone,” Cook quipped, adding: “I don’t see our users asking us to put a lot of energy into” adopting RCS.
Considered the industry standard for messaging, RCS allows users to send and receive high-quality photos and videos, chat over Wi-Fi or cellular data, and know when messages have been read, among other features. In contrast, exchanging pictures and videos between Android and iPhone currently degrades the quality of the media. Messages between iPhones and Androids are not encrypted, unlike iMessages between iPhones or messages sent via WhatsApp, making them more vulnerable to spying.
In response to Apple’s announcement, Google said it was “pleased to see Apple take the first step today by getting on board with RCS”. Google also pledged to work with Apple to implement the standard.
Google ran an ad campaign for Android last year called “Get the message”, urging Apple to adopt RCS and blaming Apple for the dysfunction. The Android website for the campaign still reads: “Texting between iPhones and Android phones feels like using technology from another era, because it is – Apple refuses to adopt modern texting standards”.
The day before Apple’s RCS announcement, Nothing announced that its Android phones would support iMessage via a new feature. Nothing CEO Carl Pei declared victory on Twitter/X on Thursday afternoon, quoting former Apple CEO Steve Jobs in response to Apple’s statement.
European Union regulators have also been putting pressure on Apple. Thursday was the deadline for Apple to argue to the EU that iMessage should not be considered a “core” service under the Digital Services Act. If it were considered a core service, regulators could have legally forced Apple to open up its ecosystem.
