iOS 19 to Improve Texting With Android Users in Five Ways

[Mac Fly (film)]

Apple could have solved much of this ten years ago by brining iMessage to Android. If they wanted people in the Apple ecosystem that was a way in, and then introduce a money sending system into the messaging app, as everyone who's anyone on Android would likely have the app installed. This allows the messaging app itself to remain free, and the payments transactions to cover fees. Eddy Cue wanted Apple to bring iMessage to Android years ago, as evidenced in court documents, and he was right.

My friend, the doctor, switched to iPhone a few months ago and she was frustrated enough in a few ways to switch back to Android this week. I am now back to using WhatsApp to communicate with her, that app is so terrible in terms of UX in my view. Had Apple brought iMessage to Android I would be sitting pretty still chatting with her on iMessage, and she would still have a foot in the Apple ecosystem, and we could send one another money with a tap using the app we always chat on. So my personal experience using my own iPhone is worse based on her independent decision—a problem that didn't need to be.

If you were curious, she had many issues, a couple of which were the lack of easily accessed controls for all the volume controls in one quick interface as she had on Android (Apple will probably add this eventually) but perhaps most of all she hated the Photos app on iOS 18, which I can't say I blame her on that one. In trying to surface many features within the app Apple forget how people want to use a photos app. If Apple wanted to surface features they could have simply made the bottom tab bar customisable. Jobs solved the issue on iPhoneOS 1.0 on the Music app (customisable tab bar). Apple have lost their way on the software side.

 

[Nugget]

I do not share my contacts, and you don't need to. So that's solved.

On iOS if you don't give WhatsApp access to your contacts everyone shows up in chats and lists as their bare phone number and it's hard to keep track of who is who.

And if they can't see your photos because it's E2EE I'm not sure what your problem here even is?

The app can see the photos you send and receive, as I mentioned. E2EE has no effect here. I'm not willing to share that much with Meta. The location I was referring to is the EXIF and other meta data in the photo, not the device location.

But if you wanna peddle fear mongering go for it

What's fear mongering? I'm just explaining where I draw the line in protecting my privacy from Meta. You're free to make less paranoid choices for your own life.

 

[The Game 161]

Good step forward

 

[Gix1k]

Honestly, at this point, I don't believe any of the software rumors or Apple promises until I actually see them work on my phone in my hand.

Apple Intelligence.....What a gimmick joke of trash. Genmoji and Playground are the two biggest waste of company R&D ever for this company. Why would anyone need to create a frog wearing a space suit holding a fish. Siri is still the biggest piece of crap. Now won't "get smarter" until iOS 19. They should have just adopted Gemini.

 

[Dark_Omen]

I agree, I also demand that Apple give me the option to customise the colours of the Dynamic Island privacy indicators from Orange for microphone and Green for Camera—I want Purple for Microphone and Brown for Camera. I also demand the ability to rotate all message bubbles by 12° as a customisation feature in the Messages app, and I want to change the colour of all notifications so they appear with pink text instead of white

The person you replied to wasn’t being unreasonable. A simple customization option of the bubble colors isn’t asking for much. There’s no need to be snarky.

 

[Arytonsenna]

But, you’ll need an iPhone 16 Pro or higher to take advantage of these new features. Only an AI capable phone can pull this off.

 

[MAlbi]

Are we approaching another revolutionary Apple device support cut this year with new ipad/iOS ?

 

[knirirr]

I think most people outside of tech enthusiasts don't equate WhatsApp with meta/Facebook. And those that do, don't care because that's where everyone is.

I care, and know a tiny number of other people who do. This is unfortunate, as I do miss out on some information from time to time by refusing to use WhatsApp, but it's tolerable.

 

[Radeon85]

Apple could solve this bubble colour war overnight if they just used blue for iMessage and RCS while keeping green for SMS/MMS as usual. Better user experience as well, as I don't have to read the little text that says RCS to know that I can send them media content, if I see blue then whether they are on Apple or Android I know they can receive media content.

 

[Chungry]

Apple could solve this bubble colour war overnight if they just used blue for iMessage and RCS while keeping green for SMS/MMS as usual. Better user experience as well, as I don't have to read the little text that says RCS to know that I can send them media content, if I see blue then whether they are on Apple or Android I know they can receive media content.

Apple will likely do that when rcs encryption drops, it benefits them to distinguish between encrypted an otherwise but not so much iMessage vs rcs.

 

[centauratlas]

Apple will likely do that when rcs encryption drops, it benefits them to distinguish between encrypted an otherwise but not so much iMessage vs rcs.

Maybe, I think much depends on the technical details. If the RCS implementation uses on device keys, then maybe. If it uses keys that are held by someone else, hopefully not. Differentiating between secure and insecure is good. Encryption does little good if it stop your friend (who has no interest in your messages) from reading them but allows the telecoms, meta, google, three letter agencies etc and anyone at those places to read them.

The UK would have a problem with one but not the other.

 

[JonathanParker]

The person you replied to wasn’t being unreasonable. A simple customization option of the bubble colors isn’t asking for much. There’s no need to be snarky.

But how does it “solve the green/blue bubble debate” as he said it would do? People who would go and change all their Android contacts to blue bubbles (visible on their own devices only) are not the same people, including teenagers, who discriminate against green bubbles or engage in social faux pas.

 

[Chungry]

But how does it “solve the green/blue bubble debate” as he said it would do? People who would go and change all their Android contacts to blue bubbles (visible on their own devices only) are not the same people, including teenagers, who discriminate against green bubbles or engage in social faux pas.

I personally prefer the gradient bubble colors, especially purple, orange and teal 😋 as for young folks discriminating I think it's just one of those things you grow out of eventually. But it's racism after a sort, there are those that have a high narcissist quotient and never do. It's why I see people making jokes or being half serious about the subject and go "oh well, at least you d outed yourself as a racist so I know not to engage." Predictably these types who focus on economically disadvantaged people that can't afford an iPhone are the loudest to proclaim they want change out of one side of their mouth while discriminating out the other. It literally cuts across lines of racial disparity but people are flippant about it around here. Smh

 

[breenmask]

As long we can block iPhone users too then

good. you'll be doing the necessary work for us.

 

[Chungry]

good. you'll be doing the necessary work for us.

this has to be the most pathetic exchange in the history of tribalism

 

[HMI]

Here are five new capabilities to expect for RCS conversations:

1. Autotext Android User, "Get an iPhone, Alien!"
2. Block Contact
3. Delete Message Conversation
4. Report Contact as Junk/Spam
5. Celebrate with Cat videos and boxed Wine!

 

[leoliang9892]

they should add a "block all android messages" feature.

I mean I always ask for a copy of their tax return before texting—gotta make sure their income is worth my time.
/s

 

[MacFarmer]

I think messaging colors should be more distinct. I would propose to have imessages in blue, as is, simple sms - green, like it is now, and android rcs should be microsoft zune brown color. Just so you know what you are dealing with

 

[throAU]

Apple this week said that it plans to add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to the Messages app in future iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS software updates, and that news actually has some additional implications.

As noted by 9to5Mac's Michael Burkhardt, Apple has indirectly confirmed that it will be adopting the RCS Universal Profile 3.0 specification, which includes not only end-to-end encryption, but also several other iMessage-like enhancements that were originally introduced in version 2.7 of the specification. iOS 18 supports RCS Universal Profile 2.4.

Here are five new capabilities to expect for RCS conversations:

• End-to-end encryption, which will prevent Apple and any other third party from being able to read messages and attachments while they are being sent between devices, as has always been the case with iMessage
• In-line replies
• Edit messages
• Unsend messages
• Full-fledged Tapback support for RCS messages, ensuring they always work

iMessage conversations with blue bubbles have supported end-to-end encryption by default since iOS 5. In addition, iMessage has supported in-line replies since iOS 14, while the options to edit and unsend iMessages were introduced with iOS 16.

Apple has not indicated which iOS version will upgrade RCS, but iOS 19 or a follow-up update like iOS 19.1 or iOS 19.2 seems like a safe bet.

Article Link: iOS 19 to Improve Texting With Android Users in Five Ways

They should make rcs brown bubbles or something equally distasteful.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Wow, this would pretty much eliminate all the pain points of texting people with Androids. Sounds good to me.

Agreed. What's pathetic is this is available now according to the GSMA so why is Apple holding up on THIS GSMA 3.0 version??!!

 

[raysfan81]

So it won't display anymore the now-familiar alert "this message was sent by a poor person who can't even afford an iPhone".
Good to know.

Yes the Android user who's phone literally folds in half is so much poorer than you with your financed iPhone 11 with a cracked screen 😂

 

[raysfan81]

I don’t understand why to wait until iOS 19 instead of adopting the new 3.0 profile on upcoming iOS 18 updates

I'm not quite sure why Apple hasn't unbundled critical system apps like Messages from OS updates so they can be updated via the App Store. Seems like it would be a huge improvement