Apple announced RCS with a whimper when it should have been a bang

 

Although Apple hardly mentioned the change, it will significantly improve communication between Android and iPhone users.

After battling for years to give iMessage and Android feature parity, Apple will finally implement RCS in iOS 18. You could have missed the announcement if you had blinked, though, so it wasn't a joyful occasion. Apple quietly declared support for the standard and concentrated on all the amazing features coming to iMessage users, not RCS users, rather than demonstrating how RCS will improve things.

Apple omitted to discuss how RCS adoption will enable users of Android and iPhone to send each other high-quality images and videos. Not even how RCS will make cross-platform read receipts and typing indicators compatible was mentioned. Apple only showcased the eye-catching features that will be added to iMessage, such as scheduling text messages, bolding and italicizing text, and improving Tapbacks.

Although these are all fantastic additions, iPhone users will not be able to utilize them when conversing with Android-based users. Furthermore, we have no idea how the emoji generated by Apple's new AI emoji creation tool, Genmoji, will seem in texts sent to Android users.

Android users are still stuck in green bubbles.

 Image: Apple

RCS was also concealed by the company on its iOS 18 preview page. The statement "RCS (Rich Communication Services) messages bring richer media and delivery and read receipts for those who don't use iMessage" doesn't even specifically mention Android users. With the green bubbles indicating that the person you are texting isn't using an iPhone, the included image displays an RCS chat on an iPhone.

RCS support was first confirmed by Apple to be coming last year. Apple spokeswoman Jacqueline Roy told The Verge at the time, "This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users." However, it wasn't exactly a selfless act. Apple was mostly compelled to support RCS as a result of increasing pressure from rival businesses and international regulators. That could help to explain the somewhat grumpy way in which iOS 18 was announced.

However, Apple's RCS adoption took years to come about. All of the major carriers have already transitioned to RCS. Being the lone holdout, Apple was forced to address the matter more and more by regulators as well as negative press (do you recall when Tim Cook advised a man to buy an iPhone for his mother?).

Can you spot Apple’s mention of RCS?

 Image: Apple

It's absurd that Apple omitted RCS from its keynote, implying that they didn't think it was important enough to highlight. All Android users, myself included, have been forced to put up with seeing photos and videos from iPhone users that require a magnifying glass to read (while simultaneously trying to get them to download a third-party messenger that does support high-res media). 

This is a huge upgrade for those who use iPhones and Android phones! Unfortunately, unsettling AI-generated emoji and jiggling iMessage bubbles overshadowed the much anticipated unification of the messaging systems on the iPhone and Android. I'm excited that I can now share pictures and videos from the 21st century with my friends and family who own iPhones, even if Apple doesn't acknowledge this.