Apple Announces Plan to Connect Messaging Platforms, While Retaining iMessage's Distinct Green Bubbles

There is hope that the distinction between green and blue message bubbles on iPhones may come to an end. Currently, only iMessages from iPhones appear as blue bubbles, while messages from Android phones are green. Apple has announced its support for a new messaging standard called Rich Communication Services (RCS), which will make it easier to send texts between phones. However, Android messages will still appear as green bubbles, suggesting that those hoping for a change may have to wait. Apple plans to introduce support for RCS on iPhones and iOS devices from 2024. RCS is a standard designed to facilitate messaging between phones on different operating systems. This move by Apple has been seen as a significant shift. The company stated that RCS would provide a better messaging experience for users who want to communicate with users of rival phones, compared to traditional SMS or MMS. Apple emphasized that iMessage will remain the best and most secure messaging experience for its users. Google, the developer of the Android operating system, has been urging Apple to enable RCS, citing frustrations among users with green-colored messages on iPhones and the lack of end-to-end encryption in SMS and MMS messages. Recent EU regulations for digital platforms may have also influenced Apple's decision to adopt RCS. The European Commission's Digital Markets Act requires major digital service providers to allow users to easily interact with rival platforms, including sending messages between different systems. Google and other companies called on the European Commission to declare iMessage a core service that should be interoperable with platforms like WhatsApp. Apple has argued against this, but the European Commission has been investigating whether iMessage should be classified as a core service. Earlier this year, Apple had to remove its lightning port from new iPhones to comply with EU regulations for a common charging cable. Apple's announcement of RCS support comes shortly after phone manufacturer Nothing launched Nothing Chats, which allows owners of its latest smartphone to send iMessages to iPhone users. Responding to Apple's decision, Nothing posted on X (formerly Twitter), "looks like they got the message."