Google Reveals When to Expect RCS Support on iPhone for Improved Texting With Android Users

[MacRumors]

In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe.

In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall of 2024." This timeframe suggests that RCS support will be added to the iPhone with iOS 18, which should be available in beta in June and released in September. At the latest, support should be added in iOS 18.1, which is likely to be released in October.

RCS support should result in the following improvements in the Messages app for conversations between iPhones and Android smartphones:

• Higher-resolution photos and videos
• Audio messages
• Typing indicators
• Read receipts
• Wi-Fi messaging
• Improved group chats, including the ability for iPhone users to leave a conversation that includes Android users

These modern features are already available for iMessage, and in many third-party messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram. RCS support on the iPhone will extend the features to green bubbles in the Messages app.

Article Link: Google Reveals When to Expect RCS Support on iPhone for Improved Texting With Android Users

 

[brofkand]

Years late but better late than never.

 

[Scotty2Hotty]

A welcome change. We've all gotta move away from SMS.

 

[LogicalApex]

Makes sense. Since it would come with major changes to the Messages app it makes sense it would flow into iOS 18 and not a patch release for iOS 17.

 

[kemal]

I still want to punish Android users.

 

[BrownyQ]

Honestly can't wait for these improvements. I have many friends and family who use Android, and I'm a bit of a loon with using the silly features like the reactions or stickers. Sometimes they work fine, sometimes they don't.

 

[Kottu]

Finally the name United States of America has a meaning. America was at the verge of dividing into United States of Apple and United States of Android. Thanks to Apple and Google.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Years late but better late than never.

Oh this is quite timely. Google themselves were years late, the carriers were decades late. Apple should not be simply adopting everything Google does, we'd have gone through 4 iterations already in the past decade if they did.

 

[toobravetosave]

I still want to punish Android users.

we are the ones punished lol

 

[dk001]

Sounds like it will be RCS support but not full RCS functionality.
Even without E2EE it is positive step.

 

[atomicparker]

I wonder how many times Google will rebrand its text messaging app between now and then.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Sounds like it will be RCS support but not full RCS functionality.
Even without E2EE it is positive step.

Apple will be looking to standardize an E2EE solution rather than use Google's proprietary extensions. Really, Google is making this about themselves right now when it needs to be about an open standard.

 

[Rogifan]

It’s sad that sites like The Verge and WSJ turned this into a green bubble social status thing for clicks instead of explaining what the actual issue is. This notion that teens have social anxiety because they show up as a green bubble on their friends phone is ridiculous. But annoyance because their group chat experience isn’t as good? That’s legit. I’m glad Apple is going to make that experience better.

 

[jarman92]

I didn't need Google to tell me the obvious conclusion that RCS would be coming with iOS 18 😅

Sounds like it will be RCS support but not full RCS functionality.
Even without E2EE it is positive step.

No, it will be full RCS functionality. The RCS standard doesn't include encryption; Google has added it to messages sent through its messaging app du jour by routing everything through its servers.

 

[rappr]

I didn't need Google to tell me the obvious conclusion that RCS would be coming with iOS 18 😅

Right? It was baffling to me that this is being reported as some kind of insight.

 

[Scotty2Hotty]

Sounds like it will be RCS support but not full RCS functionality.
Even without E2EE it is positive step.

Agreed. A step in the right direction.

 

[Premium1]

Finally can get high res images and be able to leave group chats with android users in it!

 

[zorinlynx]

I bet the reason there's no end to end encryption is because that would require a central body to manage certificates. Right now, SMS happens between carriers with nobody really "in charge". You'd need some neutral organization to handle certificate management and distribution if you wanted to do e2ee using RCS. Google handles this for Android phones, but it makes sense that Apple wouldn't want messaging to depend on Google or some other competitor.

 

[hacky]

I still want to punish Android users.

Funny thing is, it's rather vice versa - Android users currently punishing iMessage users.

From what I've heard, it's a mess (for all iPhone users) when you include one Android user in the group chat.

 

[Premium1]

I still want to punish Android users.

Wild that there is actually people out there who feel superior because of the color of the messaging bubble... but iOS users are the ones being punished.

 

[sloheim]

Sounds like it will be RCS support but not full RCS functionality.
Even without E2EE it is positive step.

It will be true GSMA RCS standards, not Google's implementation of those standards. Those are two very different things.

Apple is working with the GSMA to get E2EE implemented in the standard. Hopefully it comes sooner rather than later.

And let's be honest... even Android users have issues connecting to, and staying connected to, RCS servers. Lets hope thats an internal Android issue, and that IOS does have not similar issues. Otherwise, the experience is going to be a million times worse.

 

[EugW]

Years late but better late than never.

This is literally the only feature I've been awaiting for iOS. In addition, it will be good if it turns out our oldest active iPhone, the iPhone XR, is supported. And rumour has it, it will. That would be the icing on the cake.

As for other rumoured iOS 18 features like AI? I really couldn't give a chit.

It’s sad that sites like The Verge and WSJ turned this into a green bubble social status thing for clicks instead of explaining what the actual issue is. This notion that teens have social anxiety because they show up as a green bubble on their friends phone is ridiculous. But annoyance because their group chat experience isn’t as good? That’s legit. I’m glad Apple is going to make that experience better.

This social status thing is a stupid phenomenon, but The Verge and WSJ didn't create it.

I didn't need Google to tell me the obvious conclusion that RCS would be coming with iOS 18 😅

Well, Google didn't actually specifically tell you RCS would be coming with iOS 18. All they said is it's coming this fall.

Anyhow, it's nice to be able to get real confirmation of the relative time frame. That time frame is a bit more specific than was previously known.

 

[Schnort]

Fall of 2024. So.....Dec 20th?

 

[bviktor]

A welcome change. We've all gotta move away from SMS.

We already did. 10 years ago. Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Signal, Discord, Slack.

 

[EugW]

We already did. 10 years ago. Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Signal, Discord, Slack.

This is EXACTLY the problem.

Not a single one of those options is a universal cross platform option. RCS is a big deal, since it negates the need for all of those apps (although WhatsApp and WeChat will stick around a very long time).

Fall of 2024. So.....Dec 20th?

A little bird told me Dec. 17.

/s