For years, the iPhone’s two-tiered texting system has been a sizzling subject. iPhone-to-iPhone texts within the Messages app are blue, and luxuriate in full encryption and extra strong media options, like animations. However messages to and from Android gadgets are merely normal SMS texts, and marked with a inexperienced tint. Apple’s segregated messaging platform has been the topic of a , and even sparked chatter of regulatory intervention. However with Apple’s current affirmation that it’ll start supporting the newer RCS texting normal in iOS 18, is the iPhone messaging enjoying discipline about to be leveled? Or are we simply exchanging one acronym for an additional?
Confused? Don’t fear. We’re about to put out what may change with Apple’s adoption of the GSMA’s next-generation messaging protocol.
What’s SMS?
Brief Message Service (SMS) is likely one of the most ubiquitous messaging protocols on the planet. It dates again to the early days of cellular expertise. In December 1992, Neil Papworth, on the time an engineer at Vodafone, despatched the primary SMS textual content message when he wished his boss “Merry Christmas.” By the beginning of 2011, roughly 80 % of all cell phone customers globally — an estimated 3.5 billion folks — had been sending SMS messages each month.
Right now, nevertheless, the usual has some notable drawbacks. SMS messages are restricted to 160 characters, and texts you ship can’t embrace photographs, movies, audio or GIFs. For that, cell telephones have lengthy turned to a supporting protocol referred to as Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), but it surely too has its share of technical limitations, together with woefully small message dimension limits. SMS additionally doesn’t assist end-to-end encryption.
However for all of the methods SMS feels dated in an period dominated by on the spot messaging platforms, it has one defining benefit: SMS messages are routed via your service’s cellular community, which means an information plan isn’t essential to make use of the expertise. That truth has meant SMS has typically served as a fallback for extra superior protocols, together with Apple’s iMessage.
What’s RCS?
RCS is brief for Wealthy Communication Providers, although typically it’s also marketed as “Superior Messaging.” Both manner, it’s typically positioned as a next-generation alternative for SMS and MMS. RCS permits customers to reap the benefits of many options that had been beforehand unique to over-the-top messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
As an illustration, the RCS Common Profile consists of full assist for learn receipts and typing indicators. It might probably additionally facilitate correct group chats, and permit customers to ship high-resolution pictures, video and audio clips. As of earlier this yr, Google’s implementation of RCS additionally gives by default end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for each one-on-one and group chats.
In contrast to SMS texts, RCS messages are routed over a cellular knowledge connection or Wi-Fi hyperlink, with SMS functioning as a fallback. For that cause, the older protocol possible isn’t going wherever anytime quickly.
One factor that’s vital to recollect about RCS is that it’s not and has by no means been envisioned as a alternative or competitor to on the spot messaging apps. At its coronary heart, RCS is a communication protocol between cellular phone carriers and between a telephone and service. Making the most of RCS doesn’t require signing up for a brand new service. So long as your telephone and service assist RCS, and also you’re utilizing a appropriate app akin to Messages by Google, you may reap the benefits of every part the protocol has to supply — supplied, in fact, the individual or folks you’re messaging meet those self same necessities.
How does iMessage match into all this?
Apple introduced iMessage in June 2011, a couple of quick months earlier than Steve Jobs died later that very same yr. In contrast to RCS, iMessage is a proprietary messaging protocol managed completely by Apple and obtainable (barring some occasional, unofficial workarounds) solely on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac gadgets. Beginning in 2024 with the iOS 18 replace, Apple plans to combine assist for RCS in its Messages app. As of writing this text, the 2 protocols don’t talk with each other. As such, Apple’s Messages app will default to SMS/MMS when customers try and ship texts and media recordsdata to somebody with an Android telephone.
From the attitude of an iMessage consumer, it could actually really feel like Android customers are caught in a bygone messaging period — though the latter just isn’t at fault for the scenario. Because of iMessage’s reliance on SMS/MMS for Android communication, media recordsdata find yourself pixelated, there aren’t any learn receipts or typing indicators and overlook about attempting to contain a number of iPhone and Android customers in a single group chat.
How did we get right here?
Though work on RCS started earlier than Apple introduced iMessage, the protocol had one main drawback that doomed it to a sluggish rollout. RCS is a multi-stakeholder challenge that features the involvement of the GSMA, a commerce physique that represents the pursuits of the cellular communications trade at giant. In 2015, Google took a extra energetic position within the proliferation of RCS when it acquired Jibe Cell. With Jibe’s expertise as a base, it’s successfully Google that gives the glue that binds the RCS ecosystem collectively, however for a very long time, the corporate did a poor job of aligning everybody concerned in RCS towards a shared objective.
Actually, the early days of RCS had been marked by false begins, with some carriers, together with a gaggle made up of AT&T, T-Cell and Verizon forming a short-lived three way partnership to push the protocol ahead earlier than ultimately aligning themselves with Google. Even Samsung did its personal factor for some time earlier than it too ultimately agreed to make Messages by Google the default messaging app it ships on telephones within the US.
For that cause, Apple has had little cause to undertake RCS. In any case, why wouldn’t it give a bumbling competitor a freebie? And as lately as 2022, it appeared there was little to no probability the scenario was going to alter anytime quickly. “I do not hear our customers asking that we put numerous power into that,” Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner advised the Code Convention that yr when he was requested about RCS messaging. “Purchase your mother an iPhone” was his last phrase on the matter.
Nevertheless it was additionally final yr that the European Union handed its landmark Digital Markets and Providers Act (DMA). The laws requires “gatekeepers” to not favor their very own programs or restrict third events from interoperating inside them. Gatekeepers are any firm that meets particular monetary and utilization {qualifications}. Apple, based on the regulation, is one such firm.
In the end, the EU dominated in 2024 that (although European regulators had loads of different directives for different features of Apple’s empire). Regardless of being in compliance, nevertheless, Apple had . Per famous Apple pundit John Gruber, Apple’s greater motivation could have been to . However regardless of the cause, it seems to be a executed deal: Apple reaffirmed RCS assist is coming to the iPhone as a part of iOS 18.
Does Apple’s assist of RCS imply the top of inexperienced textual content bubbles on iPhone?
Alas, inexperienced bubbles are possible right here to remain. The corporate famous in its unique touch upon RCS that iMessage “will proceed to be the perfect and most safe messaging expertise for Apple customers.” That stated, even if you happen to take that assertion to imply iMessage will proceed to show texts from non-Apple gadgets in a different way from these despatched from an iPhone, iPad or Mac, Apple’s adoption of RCS ought to result in a greater consumer expertise for each iOS and Android customers.
Once more, Apple wants to supply specifics, but it surely’s simple to check a future the place its Messages app, due to RCS, correctly shows high-resolution pictures and movies despatched from Android telephones, and permits each iOS and Android customers to participate in group chats with out one thing breaking. Apple additionally stated in its unique November 2023 announcement it might work with GSMA members to enhance the prevailing Common Profile protocol, with a give attention to including end-to-end encryption to the usual.
In fact, whether or not that interoperability ends the stigma round inexperienced bubbles is tougher to reply.
Editors’ word: This story was initially revealed in November 2023 and has been up to date to replicate new data.
