Google Again Criticizes Apple for Not Adopting RCS for Messages App: 'Their Texting is Stuck in the 1990s'

[MacRumors]

Google is continuing on with its attempt to convince Apple to adopt the RCS messaging standard, publishing a new "it's time for RCS" blog post. Promoted heavily by Google, RCS or Rich Communication Services is a messaging standard that is designed to replace the current SMS messaging standard.

It provides support for higher resolution photos and videos, audio messages, and bigger file sizes, plus it adds improved encryption, cross-platform emoji reactions, and more reliable group chats across different devices. Google has been pushing Apple to adopt RCS for well over a year now, but so far, Apple is not budging.

Google's new blog post points out that this week marks the 30th anniversary of the SMS messaging standard, as the first SMS message was sent on December 3, 1992. Google argues that it's time for an update, calling out Apple for "dragging its heels."

Google points out that with RCS, cross-platform end-to-end encrypted messaging would be available. Features like real-time typing indicators, read receipts, higher-quality photos and videos, and more control over group chats would be standard on both iPhones and Android phones.

All major mobile carriers and manufacturers have implemented RCS support, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Samsung, Sony, and others. Apple continues to be the lone holdout, and the company has so far hardly acknowledged Google's attempts to push RCS adoption.

There is no word on if Apple has considered supporting RCS, nor when such support might be implemented. In a September interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that it is not a priority. "I don't hear our users asking that we put a lot of energy in on that at this point," said Cook.

Cook further suggested an iPhone upgrade to a reporter who mentioned having trouble texting photos to his mother who uses an Android phone. "Buy your mom an iPhone," he said.

Google has gone as far as publishing an entire "Get the Message" website on RCS and Apple's lack of adoption for the feature, encouraging Apple customers to ask Apple to "fix what's broken" by switching from SMS to RCS. Google has also published anti-Apple ads promoting RCS, but nothing so far has caught Apple's attention.

Article Link: Google Again Criticizes Apple for Not Adopting RCS for Messages App: 'Their Texting is Stuck in the 1990s'

 

[enterthemerdaverse]

🤷

I just use email. Everyone has it on their phone. The only texts I get are from those payment reminders.

Edit : to the few Disagree votes I got. You don’t use email? 😂

 

[till]

Pretty much everyone outside the US has been using external apps as the de facto messaging standard for years, mainly WhatsApp. There's no particular reason to rely on your phone manufacturer or your telco for this kind of service.

 

[now i see it]

iMessage will be left behind. The world is embracing RCS. iMessage will become another FireWire

 

[geartau]

RCS is a terrible idea. No thanks.

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

First world problems. Lol.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Haven't we been through this already? Google should fix what's broken and adopt iMessage.

 

[rgeneral]

Apple should release an ad. Google should fix their messaging by giving all their users iPhones.

 

[jonppa]

Nothing is actually broken?

Google, go ahead and adopt RCS. iPhone users are minority anyway, so why do you care so much?

 

[jdb8167]

The carriers will have to push Apple to do RCS if they want it. Apple isn't going to support it just because Google wants to whine about it. If the carriers deprecated SMS and said that they would discontinue support then Apple would switch to RCS.

 

[vegetassj4]

To quote Tim Cooks response with regards to Elon being CEO of an Apple Tesla merger.

**** You.

 

[jonppa]

Haven't we been through this already? Google should fix what's broken and adopt iMessage.

Google: "But they won't let us!11!111 We also want blue bubbles like those cool kids!11!".

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Google will stay mad at Apple but they won’t bother to innovate themselves. 🤦‍♀️

 

[SactoGuy18]

Here's the issue: many people outside the USA are using WhatsApp and WeChat as their messaging services. And both are cross-platform messaging services, avoiding the RCS versus iMessage fight.

 

[ignatius345]

Google has started and abandoned SO MANY different messaging platforms at this point. They're just jealous they didn't stick with one all the way through as Apple has with iMessage.

 

[vegetassj4]

Google will stay mad at Apple but they won’t bother to innovate themselves. 🤦‍♀️

Or they'll drop it like a hot potato

Killed by Google

Killed by Google is the open source list of dead Google products, services, and devices. It serves as a tribute and memorial of beloved services and products killed by Google.

killedbygoogle.com

 

[ThatGuyInLa]

192 years and we've come full circle. We wanted a way forward from the telegraph. Then Phones. Then video phones! Then mobile phones! Then mobile video phones! Now all we want is the that damn telegraph machine in our pocket. It's all we care about. It took nearly 200 years to realize the first method was the best method.

 

[SnappleRumors]

I don't hear our users asking that we put a lot of energy in on that at this point," said Cook.

I don’t recall hearing your users asking you to put a lot of energy into Send Your Heartbeat to another Apple Watch user either Tim, but that Pulitzer Prize winning feature exists. 🙄

 

[lyngo]

We had texting in the 1990s? Wouldn’t that involve a flip phone and hitting the same key over and over again for one letter? I highly doubt it’s the same as the 1990s. 🤣

 

[Minato1990]

Shut the **** up google

 

[jonppa]

Google has started and abandoned SO MANY different messaging platforms at this point. They're just jealous they didn't stick with one all the way through as Apple has with iMessage.

Yup. https://killedbygoogle.com/

They have killed functional services with hundreds of thousand of users. Classic was Google Reader - just to kill RSS. And they managed to do that, thanks.

 

[jetjaguar]

Isn't whats app owned by meta ? I wouldn't trust that platform.

 

[jonppa]

BTW: Nobody told Google that if they want blue bubbles, then they should buy iPhone? Problem solved?

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Isn't whats app owned by meta ? I wouldn't trust that platform.

I don't trust Google & Meta. It's that simple. Both are hungry for data and invading privacy.

 

[jonppa]

Isn't whats app owned by meta ? I wouldn't trust that platform.

I wonder is there anyone who actually trusts Meta?