Apple has decided to adopt a messaging standard developed by Google that will improve the exchange of text messages between iPhones and Android devices.
Keep in mind that Google has been trying to replace SMS and MMS with the new messaging protocol Rich Communication Services (RCS) for several years.
But Apple avoided adopting this new messaging protocol and focused entirely on iMessage.
Due to this, text messages sent from Android devices to iPhones appear in a green bubble.
RCS is a messaging protocol that supports different features across different platforms.
For example, users can send messages over mobile networks as well as Wi-Fi, while they can also send larger video and photo files to each other.
Similarly, features like group chats and read receipts are also part of RCS.
Apple has now decided to adopt the RCS protocol for its devices in the future, but iMessage will continue to be reserved for iPhones and other Apple devices.
“By the end of next year, we will be adding RCS Universal Profile support, a protocol adopted by the GSM Association, which we believe will allow our customers to send SMS messages,” Apple said in a statement. Or will be able to provide better service than MMS.
The statement said that this protocol will work beyond iMessage.
RCS support will be made part of iOS 18 by Apple.
After Apple’s announcement, Google said in a statement that we are pleased that L has taken the first step toward adopting RCS.
“We welcome Apple’s involvement in the evolution of RCS and look forward to working closely with it,” the statement said.
This decision has been made by Apple to comply with the terms of the European Digital Markets Act.