'It's Time for Apple to Fix Texting' Says New Android Website Pushing RCS Messaging Technology

[gund1234]

stop ‌iPhone‌ users from texting Android phones over WiFi,
every one is free to use what ever messaging app they want to use.

improved encryption
What the hell is this supposed to mean ?

Google and cell phone service providers want iMessage users data, period.

 

[gund1234]

This would be probably the best thing added to iMessages in years. Green bubbles is a bad experience for people with Android, but also people with iPhones. It's just awful to manage a group chat with Android people in there. And no, I will not be obnoxious enough to block or ignore people with Android, as some hardcore apple fans suggested here in the past.

Everybody wins with RCS support, and I sure do hope that Apple will implement it soon.

Google and cell service providers want access to more data.
every one is using either iMessages, google messaging or What's App Cell service providers are loosing the data collection option.

 

[gund1234]

Apple needs to finally get over themselves and adopt RCS.

Google is absolutely right on this one, Apple not adopting RCS makes the experience less good for everyone, both iPhone and Android users. Apple is currently stifling innovation to increase their users' lock-in. It works economically, but is also a ****** move from a moral standpoint.

If they finally adopted RCS, my Messages app would probably see a lot more use.

What lock in ?
there are so many third party apps that can be used for messaging.
this is just google and cell service providers crying for not getting access to the data.
Keep my iMessages as it is.

 

[gund1234]

Yes because that is whats stopping it. SMS isn't encrypted, its just an excuse so you are locked in

it is an excuse from cell service providers and Google to get more data from iPhone users.
Why would google push so hard on this ? some how they are benefiting from this.

 

[gund1234]

Best move for Apple now will be:
1. Not to adopt RCS.
2. Create and Android app called Apple Messages to enable Android users to use iMessage.
3. Conquer!

How to stop Google from reading iMessages ? and getting meta data from messages ?

 

[gund1234]

If they could they would've. iMessage was gonna come to Android originally, but Apple decided to scrap that and use it as a gatekeeping measure to keep iPhone users locked in, and it worked in the US at least. The only way Apple's gonna adopt RCS is if the government makes them at this rate, just like with USB-C and sideloading and alternate payment methods and right to repair

What next government should force all smart phone manufacturers to make 3 different sizes of phones ? and define screen size in law ?
i like small phones government should force all phone manufacturers to make at least one small phone, government please help.

 

[gund1234]

Thats why the public pressure is geared toward the government employees of various nations that will force Apple to adopt RCS. Mark this post. It will happen.

I like small smart phones, every phone manufacturer should make at least one small phone, EU please make this a law.

 

[gund1234]

Both were supposed to come to Android. Then Steve Jobs died and Apple decided to scrap those plans so they could use them to lock people into the iPhone and not leave.

iMessages is locking people in ?
i think what's locking in people are the purchased apps.

If i have to create a group with people that don't have iPhones i would use What's app.
There are options.
I am pretty sure no one is using group SMS messages.
Stop spreading misinformation, don't fall for google and cell service providers.

 

[gund1234]

SMS has zero security so to answer your question yes.

So you are saying Apple should dump iMessages which is secure and use RCS which is not secure, and why would apple do that ?

 

[lcs101]

iMessages is locking people in ?
i think what's locking in people are the purchased apps.

If i have to create a group with people that don't have iPhones i would use What's app.
There are options.
I am pretty sure no one is using group SMS messages.
Stop spreading misinformation, don't fall for google and cell service providers.

A quick glance at my messages says otherwise...

 

[gund1234]

Knock-off ARM? That's kinda ignoring the history of Acorn and why ARM is even named ARM in the first place and who bankrolled the development of ARM, or who owned ARM originally as a joint-venture with Acorn, and why they have a perpetual license to ARM architecture.

He doesn't know what he is talking about leave him alone, you will probably confuse him more.

 

[lcs101]

So you are saying Apple should dump iMessages which is secure and use RCS which is not secure, and why would apple do that ?

I don't think anybody is saying this. What people are suggesting is iMessage uses RCS to fall back on instead of SMS/MMS. Hence the comparisons of security between the two.

 

[gund1234]

none. it's end-to-end encrypted. (google can't read your texts)

it is. if you spent two minutes reading, you'd know that.

...they can't. iMessage is apple's proprietary software.

RCS is not end to end encrypted for group chats last time i checked.
And would they be collecting meta data, where did the message come from, what phone no ? what location (using cell tower triangulation)

 

[gund1234]

Well.... except for the part where they want to troll through all the photos on your iCloud....

Sure, Apple respects your privacy lol. Just goes to show, if you repeat something over and over again, people will start to believe it.

I know, Apple makes most of it's revenue from advertisements just like Google, FB, basically Apple is add company not hardware company.

 

[gund1234]

T minus 15 until someone starts saying “how do carriers benefit from 5G” on this website, apparently.

How does Apple benefit from making their phones faster? Maybe they’re trying to hack the encryption on my brain! 🤯🤯🤯

Carriers get SMS data and use that for advertisements and sell your data, since most of the people use chat applications carriers are loosing the data, carriers in EU had to petition government that Apple is restricting carriers from getting the data they need.

 

[gund1234]

This would be probably the best thing added to iMessages in years. Green bubbles is a bad experience for people with Android, but also people with iPhones. It's just awful to manage a group chat with Android people in there. And no, I will not be obnoxious enough to block or ignore people with Android, as some hardcore apple fans suggested here in the past.

Everybody wins with RCS support, and I sure do hope that Apple will implement it soon.

iMessage users will loose privacy.
and no one uses SMS for group chat anyways, there are third party apps for that.

 

[BuffaloTF]

I don't think anybody is saying this. What people are suggesting is iMessage uses RCS to fall back on instead of SMS/MMS. Hence the comparisons of security between the two.

But it can't use RCS as a fallback. There's zero, absolutely zero, third party APIs to access the core network. What Google wants is system level access to hook in to SMS/MMS in their own app. There'd still be 2 apps at the end of the day... and Google could release Google Messages today just without SMS/MMS and get the exposure they want. But they won't.

 

[Seend1983]

Apple has nothing to gain from helping to integrate Android/iPhones, unlike Google who has everything to gain (not least from having the standard that they own adopted industry wide)

 

[lcs101]

But it can't use RCS as a fallback. There's zero, absolutely zero, third party APIs to access the core network. What Google wants is system level access to hook in to SMS/MMS in their own app. There'd still be 2 apps at the end of the day... and Google could release Google Messages today just without SMS/MMS and get the exposure they want. But they won't.

I'm certainly no expert, but I have not heard the first part in bold previously. In fact I have read a number of articles implying they could do that. But to be fair, I have not verified the credentials of the writers of those articles. So to be clear, I am not saying you are wrong, but it is certainly something I have not heard before.

As for the second bold part, that doesn't make much sense. Why would they alter their messaging app to not allow it to communicate with those phones like iPhone that do not have RCS? I don't think it would get them the kind of exposure they want, unless they're looking to piss off much of their user base.

 

[Abazigal]

Are we forgetting how RCS users in India were getting spammed with ads?

Google Messages RCS Being Abused for Spam in India

Link to: https://9to5google.com/2022/05/17/google-messages-rcs-ads-india/

daringfireball.net

Seems like nothing good ever comes of standards that Google tries to push.

 

[BuffaloTF]

I'm certainly no expert, but I have not heard the first part in bold previously. As for the second bold part, that doesn't make much sense. Why would they alter their messaging app to not allow it to communicate with those phones like iPhone that do not have RCS?

In order for the first part to work, they'd need an API to access the RCS network. Today, there's no API that gives a third party access to the core network, which would then treat Google as a dumb pipe - meaning only an encrypted message would pass through them... utterly useless to Google's core business.

As far as the app, that'd be specifically on iOS - so no alterations to their app at all since it'd be purpose built. Google could launch it today and have it as RCS-only. RCS is only an over-the-top instant message service, it requires no core carrier network activity - it's how they circumvented carriers entirely on this deployment in the first place, who up until this had their own closed-network systems that only communicated an RCS message with other users on the same network.

Really, RCS is no different than any instant messaging app; WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger, and so on. Their goal here is just to be the default app that comes on every phone, everywhere, as in spite of the dominating presence of a WhatsApp it still isn't on 100% of smartphones... but the Messages app your phone comes with is on 100% of smartphones...

 

[lcs101]

In order for the first part to work, they'd need an API to access the RCS network. Today, there's no API that gives a third party access to the core network, which would then treat Google as a dumb pipe - meaning only an encrypted message would pass through them... utterly useless to Google's core business.

As far as the app, that'd be specifically on iOS - so no alterations to their app at all since it'd be purpose built. Google could launch it today and have it as RCS-only. RCS is only an over-the-top instant message service, it requires no core carrier network activity - it's how they circumvented carriers entirely on this deployment in the first place, who up until this had their own closed-network systems that only communicated an RCS message with other users on the same network.

Really, RCS is no different than any instant messaging app; WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger, and so on. Their goal here is just to be the default app that comes on every phone, everywhere, as in spite of the dominating presence of a WhatsApp it still isn't on 100% of smartphones... but the Messages app your phone comes with is on 100% of smartphones...

I'll happily admit you're talking over my head with the first part. I'm still not sure what the point would be for Google to release Messages as RCS only, though. Too many iPhone users (at least in the United States) rely solely on iMessage. So you still get a lot of angry (android) customers who would have no way of messaging their friends/family on iPhones. It would be the same situation as trying to get people onto WhatsApp, which from my own personal experience, has not gone well.

 

[planteater]

I like small smart phones, every phone manufacturer should make at least one small phone, EU please make this a law.

Well, we are seeing them dictate the type of port. It’s not a stretch to see other dictates follow.

 

[pdxrevolution]

none. it's end-to-end encrypted. (google can't read your texts)

it is. if you spent two minutes reading, you'd know that.

...they can't. iMessage is apple's proprietary software.

Just to clarify this:
1) RCS is not end-to-end encrypted by default, and E2E encryption is not part of the standard RCS protocol. Google did add an E2E encryption extension, however.
2) Any chat app can choose to implement E2E encryption over RCS or choose not to implement, and, instead, use plaintext RCS.
3) To use E2E encryption in the default Google Messages app, both the sender and receiver must be using Google Messages, RCS has to be enabled, and it has to be a 1:1 chat. There's no E2E encryption for group chats.

So, yes, it's technically possible to do E2E encryption with RCS, but let's not pretend it works for everyone using RCS and in all types of chats. Plus, you're relying on a Google-created extension to the platform.

 

[Abazigal]

This would be probably the best thing added to iMessages in years. Green bubbles is a bad experience for people with Android, but also people with iPhones. It's just awful to manage a group chat with Android people in there. And no, I will not be obnoxious enough to block or ignore people with Android, as some hardcore apple fans suggested here in the past.

Everybody wins with RCS support, and I sure do hope that Apple will implement it soon.

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that RCS is the wrong horse to bet on.

1) Outside of the US, who really cares about it? Everyone else is already on WhatsApp.

2) Anything that relies on carriers is probably doomed to fail.

3) Apple would still be expected to support RCS via Google's Jibe.

The TL;DR is that once again, Google screwed the pooch by attempting to roll out yet another messaging service that required the messages app, botched the implementation, and is now trying to pin the blame on Apple for supposedly refusing to support a standard that Apple is under no obligation to.

It's ridiculous. RCS should just die in a fire. It has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and is just another symptom of the malaise plaguing Google R&D, and their penchant for flitting from one product to another like a butterfly with ADHD.