Apple is doing one thing many (together with yours really) thought it will by no means do, with plans to deliver RCS help to the iPhone.
RCS is the successor to SMS and presents lots of the options present in Apple’s iMessage. Whereas iMessage is used for iPhone > iPhone communication, iPhones presently fall again to SMS for iPhone > Android texts. Sadly, this implies these chats not solely lack the options that iMessage gives, however they’re additionally unencrypted and insecure since SMS has no encryption help.
Apple has pushed again in opposition to calls to make use of RCS as an alternative of SMS as its fallback possibility, however the firm is now doing an about face. In a assertion to 9to5Mac, Apple confirmed it plans to roll out RCS help later in 2024:
Later subsequent 12 months, we will likely be including help for RCS Common Profile, the usual as presently printed by the GSM Affiliation. We consider RCS Common Profile will provide a greater interoperability expertise when in comparison with SMS or MMS. This may work alongside iMessage, which can proceed to be the perfect and most safe messaging expertise for Apple customers.
It’s believed Apple is making the change in an effort to go off regulation. The EU lately handed the Digital Markets Act, which requires gatekeeper companies to work with rivals. After months of attempting to publicly strain Apple to undertake RCS, Google has taken its case to the EU, asking the bloc to drive Apple’s hand. Apple is clearly desirous about voluntarily adopting the tech on its phrases, moderately than being pressured to.
Because the outlet factors out, Apple nonetheless has no intention of changing iMessage, however not less than customers can have a significantly better expertise when speaking between iPhone and Android.
