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Even if you're cool enough not to have a single Android contact, anyone with an Android phone can text you. Would you rather the message be encrypted or unencrypted?

Most of the Android phones are already sending each other encrypted messages. Your phone is forcing them to fall back to unencrypted.

Ironically, a single iPhone user can now ruin an RCS thread. How bout that.
No, I don't want them to text me at all. Filthy peasants...;)
 
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The day Apple adopts RCS might be the day that carriers might actually start giving a **** about it. RCS at the moment is so fragmented, confusing and bad.
Mmmmm, it’s more the other way around. As RCS was something initially being discussed among the GSM carriers as the next step beyond SMS/MMS, if the carriers supported the thing THEY were intimately involved with creating, then Apple would give a crap. Actually, Apple wouldn’t care one way or the other, it would just deliver the messages as required by the carrier.
 
While carrier support is no longer specifically needed, you will need to be able to download the Google Messages app as well as access Google's services."
Right, so this can only ever be “just another app” of which there are already several that folks are using that are far more popular than Google Messages is or ever will ever be.

And, if “you will need to be able to download the Google Messages app” is good enough for Android, why can’t that be good enough for Apple, too? Download “just another app” and you’re good!
 
As others have pointed out iMessage already does SMS/MMS. Also doing RCS is just a choice. Could be a different colour altogether for all I care.
Doing RCS wouldn’t even be a choice if the carriers supported it. The network would say “we support RCS” (just like they currently support SMS/MMS) and the phone would just present the messages. No carrier support, no way.
 
I send lots of pictures and videos to customers by email. Ona smartphone. It’s about the same amount of clicks as doing it by text and seems to be to be more normal to me as then they can access it on their phone or their computer.

No it's not, not even close. I can only opine on my device, a Fold 3, maybe it's easier on other Android devices. I will acknowledge it's been a while since I tried sharing so maybe there's an easier route, I just couldn't figure it out and I'm pretty tech savvy. You can imagine the Keystone Kops routine of my elderly parents trying to figure it out.

Let's see, Fold 3 to iPhone
1) Take video
2) exit out of camera app
3) go into photos app
4) hit share
5) create link
6) copy link
7) open messaging app or email app
8) find person I want to send link to
9) paste link into messaging app or email app
10) send message or email
11) sulk in defeat because I missed my daughters game winning soccer goal

Receiving end
1) receive link in messaging or email, only shows a very low still image of video, not usable
2) link opens in photos.google.com, oops I'm an iPhone user and don't have a google account
3) sign up for google account (steps 4-10?)
4) finally get to view a low resolution video, I'm not sure how compressed the process makes this, but it's clearly compressed, but not as bad as MMS.
5) save video to iPhone, I've never done this and I fubared trying to figure it out for a good 3 or 4 minutes
6) download file as a .zip file (I'm sure there is an easier way, someone feel free to chime in)
7) Open Files app
8) Holy crap I'm stuck here, not sure how to get this from Files to my photos gallery
9) panic
10) sulk in defeat because I missed my grand daughters game winning soccer goal



iPhone to iPhone
1) take video
2) hit share button
3) select contact from pre-populated list
4) send text message
5) enjoy my daughters winning kick

Receiving end
1) click on notification to automatically open iMessage
2) click on video, watch in full resolution
3) optional, click on share button and hit save photo, done
 
RCS was MEANT to be an upgrade to that. All the carriers gave up on it, though. Google, at this point, is propping up a dead horse that can never be anything more than “just another app” since it will never operate at the carrier level.

I think the better description of this was... RCS started as a proposed feature set. It took many iterations to develop into the Universal Profile. It's now on the, very importantly worded, Google Universal Profile. However, in between the first developments and UP 1.0... it became an ABANDONED standard. Just like WiMax and the CDMA. Maybe come 6G something will be built in as a forethought. This aint it.
 
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You cannot redefine what it currently is based upon your opinion of it, and your use of language is incorrect.

Verizon: https://www.verizon.com/support/advanced-messaging-faqs/
TMobile: https://www.t-mobile.com/support/plans-features/advanced-messaging
AT&T: https://www.att.com/features/advanced-messaging/

None of them are saying anything close to "Whelp, we tried, it's dead, no longer working on it, don't use it". None of them are saying they "gave up". Those sites all indicate modern Android phones which are currently being sold with active support for this.

So please, don't invent history. RCS is an upgrade to SMS which is active and in use internationally.

What you don't understand here... is that none of those 3 can send to each other. Only Verizon to Verizon, or AT&T to AT&T, or T-Mobile to T-Mobile. The T-Mobile one is huge, because they use Google's jibe... yet it can't message Google Messages RCS. And yes, all of them have given up. No further development. And Samsung phones come with Google Messages as the default text app, so nobody is going to be searching out those apps.

RCS is not an upgrade to SMS. SMS works inherently to any phone connected via cellular. RCS is just another app that uses an IP data transmission like every other instant messaging app. And "it's used internationally" is laughable. 88 operators globally. 8% adoption.
 
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Android has always lacked a 100% method to fully backup your device and data, and even doesn't give a damm since they will be removing adb backup in the future. You can only do so with root access. So I don't sympathize with them not a bit. They just don't listen to people.
 
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Right, so this can only ever be “just another app” of which there are already several that folks are using that are far more popular than Google Messages is or ever will ever be.

And, if “you will need to be able to download the Google Messages app” is good enough for Android, why can’t that be good enough for Apple, too? Download “just another app” and you’re good!

Could be however it is the new “SMS” globally. Any system that utilizes SMS/MMS should look to switch over. Won’t surprise me if we see other RCS apps that are better.
 
Could be however it is the new “SMS” globally. Any system that utilizes SMS/MMS should look to switch over. Won’t surprise me if we see other RCS apps that are better.
No, it’s not the new “SMS” because “SMS” is supported directly, by the carriers. RCS is not. And, as long as it’s not supported by the carriers, it’ll always be “just another app”.
 
'RCS is designed to replace the current SMS messaging standard.'
Is it really? Is it a worldwide carrier standard now? Is it planning to be? Or is Google the only one trying to push it?
Until it is a worldwide carrier standard Apple will not adopt it.
Precisely right. And at this point, as all the carriers have looked at what’s required to support it and have given a big “nope”, it will never be a worldwide carrier implemented standard.
 
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Im still surprised on why people still use sms in United States, there is whatsapp, telegram and many more services which provide better messaging, imesage from iphone to iphone is basically the same principle.
It’s essentially free on most plans and have been for a long time. If SMS was widely available for free outside the US, WhatsApp wouldn’t have even had an opportunity to exist. People wanted to avoid those ‘cents per message’ fees and WhatsApp fit perfectly into that niche.
 
Has anybody wondered what carriers get out of this? I have been in GSMA meetings laying this out and I’m socked how naive some people are about RCS. Apple is ignoring it for good reasons.
The carriers know it’s not going anywhere. If they thought, for even one moment, that there was something even remotely valuable here, they would not be handing over the keys to Google. :) I wonder if these companies are getting nice sized buckets of money from Google for “running” this for them? I’m sure they’re happy to take it!

At some point, though, like all their messaging efforts, Google WILL turn off the spigot, Google Messages will fade away BUT Google will at that time be pushing “Google Gossip”… which, as preordained, will also fail. LOL
 
I wonder why WhatsApp never gained traction in the US?
Because SMS in the US is free and has been for a long time, essentially. If folks outside the US could also text for free, WhatsApp would have a business model to get such deep penetration so quickly. They might have even simply not released the app.
 
Precisely right. And at this point, as all the carriers have looked at what’s required to support it and have given a big “nope”, it will never be a worldwide carrier implemented standard.
I think people don’t understand that carriers don’t see the money in replacing SMS with RCS. Are people going to magically switch from WhatsApp or name-or-app? NOPE
 
As for the topic at hand… If I have to have insecure texting with android users (I’ve several friends using it), it should be RCS, not SMS/MMS. The user experience is much worse than it needs to be. The “not invented here” attitude at Apple, combined with the effort to lock in customers, is just plain hostile in this case.
There are already platform agnostic solutions like Whatsapp, Telegram, Line, Signal, WeChat, Viber, etc. Just pick one. If you're stubbornly sticking with SMS, that's on you, not Apple.
 
No it's not, not even close. I can only opine on my device, a Fold 3, maybe it's easier on other Android devices. I will acknowledge it's been a while since I tried sharing so maybe there's an easier route, I just couldn't figure it out and I'm pretty tech savvy. You can imagine the Keystone Kops routine of my elderly parents trying to figure it out.

Let's see, Fold 3 to iPhone
1) Take video
2) exit out of camera app
3) go into photos app
4) hit share
5) create link
6) copy link
7) open messaging app or email app
8) find person I want to send link to
9) paste link into messaging app or email app
10) send message or email
11) sulk in defeat because I missed my daughters game winning soccer goal

Receiving end
1) receive link in messaging or email, only shows a very low still image of video, not usable
2) link opens in photos.google.com, oops I'm an iPhone user and don't have a google account
3) sign up for google account (steps 4-10?)
4) finally get to view a low resolution video, I'm not sure how compressed the process makes this, but it's clearly compressed, but not as bad as MMS.
5) save video to iPhone, I've never done this and I fubared trying to figure it out for a good 3 or 4 minutes
6) download file as a .zip file (I'm sure there is an easier way, someone feel free to chime in)
7) Open Files app
8) Holy crap I'm stuck here, not sure how to get this from Files to my photos gallery
9) panic
10) sulk in defeat because I missed my grand daughters game winning soccer goal



iPhone to iPhone
1) take video
2) hit share button
3) select contact from pre-populated list
4) send text message
5) enjoy my daughters winning kick

Receiving end
1) click on notification to automatically open iMessage
2) click on video, watch in full resolution
3) optional, click on share button and hit save photo, done
What you just described as iPhone to iPhone works exactly the same if you use email as it does with iMessage.
 
The carriers know it’s not going anywhere. If they thought, for even one moment, that there was something even remotely valuable here, they would not be handing over the keys to Google. :) I wonder if these companies are getting nice sized buckets of money from Google for “running” this for them? I’m sure they’re happy to take it!

At some point, though, like all their messaging efforts, Google WILL turn off the spigot, Google Messages will fade away BUT Google will at that time be pushing “Google Gossip”… which, as preordained, will also fail. LOL
It's more complicated than that. See my lengthy explanation here: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...cs-messaging-technology.2354162/post-31325320

Also take note that GSMA is in the RCS team. While Google is an important player there's not going to be a unique center of power. Also infrastructure will not only stay in one unique side.
 
Let’s stop the excuses and accept apple drags their feet.

Having used both RCS and IPhones
RCS and Android has a lot of superiority in a few areas Apple should improve because guess what 80% of people don’t have iPhones so it hurts you as a business, consumer, etc.
RCS has read receipts, useful for any business communications.

RCS allows effective cross OS software (texts on windows desktop and even osx desktops to show up) IMessage is locked to one device OSX.

What I see from apple, is a obvious case of doing the bare minimum to hold onto competitive advantages. They do it with everything, from bs excuses for sideloading keeping the app store safe (when tons of apps are scams already - ie iPhone cleaning apps, spam call blocking apps) When most androids have this built in - note google pixel spam blocking system.

Apple just doesn’t invest into stuff that hurts their ability to keep you locked into their walled garden. It’s anti-competitive is what it is.

I think it’s important to accept that since Steve jobs has died apple has been dragging their feet pretty bad in software vs the competition and tiny little changes pale fe competion today; I’ve used macs forever but let’s be honest the software and locked down system is outdated, the App Store sucks (I think the windows App Store has a better app selection then osx does today fyi).

This trend has gone on for 2011 and using osx from 2011 until today, it’s almost an identical OS fyi. When I look at how competition has progressed since 2011 is how I base this.

Apple drags their feet, and they need to lead.

Apple needs to do what they do best - be on the leading edge of technology, not being one foot in new and another way way behind. They also need to stop blowing smoke up their customers asses because ios and osx app stores are getting worse and worse every single year - when windows has a better store then osx App Store, you know you have a major issue.
And don’t get me started on android App Store it’s gotten to the point where Apples app stores are starting to feel like the blackberry and windows phone app stores vibes.

There just isn’t a great selection here anymore, on android you have 100 apps for every 3 apple does, and of those 100 maybe 40-60 are excellent and the rest trash, the issue 2 of 3 on apple are trash.

All I can say is developers obviously are not investing the time and energy into apple app systems anymore, and it’s sad because I would want the opposite to be true.

That’s the reality and RCS is only a symptom of the bigger problem at apple.

It doesn’t give me any pleasure saying this, but it’s just the factual situation currently right now. I accept it, so at least I can be aware of issues and provide feedback when possible to apple.
 
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There are already platform agnostic solutions like Whatsapp, Telegram, Line, Signal, WeChat, Viber, etc. Just pick one. If you're stubbornly sticking with SMS, that's on you, not Apple.

SMS is the platform agnostic solution. It works to literally everyone that has a cellular phone as it's part of the base network, it's just there as ubiquitously as the ability to make and receive a phone call. Everything you listed is a platform in itself... closed to the others. And the EU's plan to make them send to each other is... stupid. Let's just call that what it is. Stupid.
 
Has anybody wondered what carriers get out of this? I have been in GSMA meetings laying this out and I’m socked how naive some people are about RCS. Apple is ignoring it for good reasons.

They get nothing out of it, which is why they abandoned it entirely. The GSMA gets nothing out of it, which is why they abandoned it entirely and handed it over to Google. Google gets something out of it, a sh!+load of metadata to farm and sell ads from.
 
What you just described as iPhone to iPhone works exactly the same if you use email as it does with iMessage.

I tried it with email, still the same number of steps as through texting as you still have to deal with the link and you still end up with a heavily compressed video. Wayyyyy more steps than iPhone to iPhone. Even though I shouldn't have been, I was surprised at how onerous it was, although I vaguely remember using Samsung links and that being slightly easier. Thankfully I use BlueBubbles, but that's a pain to setup and not everyone has a spare Macbook to use as a server.
 
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There are already platform agnostic solutions like Whatsapp, Telegram, Line, Signal, WeChat, Viber, etc. Just pick one. If you're stubbornly sticking with SMS, that's on you, not Apple.

I wish people would stop putting this forth as a solution. I get that Whatsapp has incredibly wide use outside of the US, but you know what, I'm in the US. To get every single friend, family member, acquaintance, and business to use the same messaging app as I do is just insane. Every single person I text just uses iMessage, and there is very little chance they are going to bother with another messaging app. Even if they do, they are still going to group message inside of iMessages. Now if they all used messaging apps, that would be worse as all my messaging would be fragmented over several apps. Using a third party messaging app is just not a viable solution for most of us in the US.
 
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