Google tries publicly shaming Apple into adopting RCS

Image: Google

The cross-platform messaging protocol that is meant to be a successor to the aging SMS and MMS standards will be the subject of a new publicity campaign by the search engine giant.

There are a number of reasons why Apple should support the standard on the new "Get The Message" website. It is possible to get those viral juices flowing by using the #GetThe message.

The green bubbles in Apple's Messages app are what most people know about the problems that are described by the search engine giant. While the iPhone app uses Apple's own iMessage service to send texts between the two phones, they don't use old-fashioned text messaging when texting anAndroid user. Many of the modern messaging features people have come to rely on have been broken by these messages.

iMessage should not benefit from bullying. Texting should bring us together, and the solution exists. Let’s fix this as one industry. https://t.co/18k8RNGQw4

— Android (@Android) January 8, 2022

A series of not-so-subtle hints have been dropped in recent months for Apple to support RCS, which offers most (though not all) of the features of iMessage in a protocol that's usable across bothios andANDROID. At its annual developer conference this year, the company hopes to see every mobile operating system upgrade to the new RCS.

The current situation has a lock-in effect for customers and the iPhone maker has a lot to gain from it. It provides seamless communication between users but only between them. It is why Apple executives admitted in internal emails that they would hurt the company more than help them.

It was initially reliant on carriers to add support for the standard. The situation has improved since the takeover of the company by the internet giant, meaning that it is easy to find in almost all of the world. In its flagship S22 range, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer,Samsung, switched to using the Messages app from Google.

It has been gaining feature parity with iMessages. One-on-one chats and E2EE in group chats are due later this year.

Will Apple finally see the light and roll out RCS support on its phones as a result of the new publicity campaign from GOOGLE? I think the chances of Apple not playing ball are not good. At this point, Apple's adoption of RCS feels like it would be the same as the US's decision to ditch iMessage.