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Apple is bringing RCS to the iPhone in iOS 18 | The new standard will replace SMS as the default communication protocol between Android and iOS devices (www.theverge.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

145 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The long-awaited day is here: Apple has announced that its Messages app will support RCS in iOS 18. The move comes after years of taunting, cajoling, and finally, some regulatory scrutiny from the EU.

Right now, when people on iOS and Android message each other, the service falls back to SMS — photos and videos are sent at a lower quality, messages are shortened, and importantly, conversations are not end-to-end encrypted like they are in iMessage. Messages from Android phones show up as green bubbles in iMessage chats and chaos ensues.

Apple’s announcement was likely an effort to appease EU regulators.

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[–] [email protected] 70 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Apple could easily do the bare minimum to keep regulators at bay while still keeping the experience as shitty as possible so that Android will continue to look bad. For example they could refuse to implement reactions or typing indicators, or they could even deliberately compress videos. I'm expecting the worst until we see otherwise.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

This is exactly what I'm expecting. The company of "buy your mom an iPhone" isn't going to be aiming for maximum interoperability.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Yeah but the company of “wants to remain in the EU market” might

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

The EU is fine with iMessage shenanigans, because they're not a significant enough part of the market to matter. Nobody uses SMS either.

It's WhatsApp all the way here.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

No, they'll aim for minimum interoperability that the EU will let them get away with, and they'll push that line every chance they get

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (2 children)

For example they could refuse to implement reactions or typing indicators

Reactions already work in MMS groups, use them every day.

or they could even deliberately compress videos

Except they’re already advertising improved quality of photos and video in non-iMessage chats. Doubt they would advertise a specific feature only to make it worse.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

Disliked a message.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Doubt they would advertise a specific feature only to make it worse.

Not like companies have never done that...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

Apple will probably use white bubbles with yellow font.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Not to criticise apple too badly here, but that's what will happen, as the version of RCS they use won't have E2EE.

And... It'll still be tied to your phone number. Why would I want another shitty messaging system that's tied to my phone number?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 months ago

It's the replacement for SMS... Are you upset that WiFi phone calls are tied to your phone number?