New Google Campaign Asks Apple to Support RCS Texting in iMessage

Google’s Android group has launched a new website to advocate for Apple to adopt the RCS text messaging standard in iMessage, which would significantly improve texting across devices (via CNET).

The campaign focuses on Apple’s “green bubble” experience when messages are delivered over the SMS and MMS standards, such as the lack of typing indicators, and compressed images.

RCS includes many features seen in iMessage as well as chat apps like WhatsApp and Signal, including typing indicators, encrypted messages, and higher-quality photo sending.

Texting a friend with a different phone than you should be no problem… Right? @Apple? #GetTheMessage pic.twitter.com/Qa1TDkmUSK

— Android (@Android)

August 9, 2022

The website marks the latest effort by Google to encourage Apple to use the RCS text standard, which is currently an Android-only text messaging service.

While RCS now has the support of the major US mobile carriers, without adoption within Apple’s Messages app or within devices like basic phones, it’s essentially an “iMessage” for only Android phones.

The campaign website also suggests cross-platform chat apps like Signal and Meta’s WhatsApp as options to get a more universal texting experience, as opposed to trying to move people into another Google-owned service.

The move comes just ahead of the final iOS 16 release, which adds the ability to edit and unsend messages that are sent over iMessage.