Google gives Apple dose of own medicine with reaction texts - Business Insider

• Google's Messages app is getting updates similar in-line replies to azygous messages and starring texts.
• Some of the caller features are RCS enabled, which is not afloat compatible with Apple's iMessage.
• RCS works implicit internet, truthful it tin enactment much features similar multimedia and interactive features.

Google is giving Apple a sensation of its ain medicine.

The company's latest updates to its Messages app takes its conflict with Apple adjacent further, and is going to marque texting betwixt iPhone and Androids adjacent much annoying than it already is.

The updates are large if you're an Android user. Google Messages' new features include the quality to reply to idiosyncratic messages, prima them, and acceptable reminders connected texts. But these features and immoderate different updates to Messages are RCS-enabled, meaning they're not going to beryllium precise compatible with SMS, which is the texting modular that iMessage switches to erstwhile messaging idiosyncratic without an iPhone. iPhones speech messages utilizing iMessage, Apple's proprietary messaging system, but revert to SMS erstwhile texting an Android.

One diagnostic that's portion of Google's payback to Apple is that now, erstwhile Messages users respond to an SMS substance with an emoji, iPhone users volition get a substance saying the different idiosyncratic reacted to their substance with a statement of immoderate emoji the idiosyncratic used. It's akin to erstwhile iMessage users respond to an SMS text, with the recipient getting a "so and truthful loved" connection alternatively of seeing the bosom emoji reaction.

Google's run to unit Apple to change

RCS stands for Rich Communications Services, and was chosen successful 2008 to perchance regenerate the SMS texting modular that is from the 1990s. Compared to SMS, RCS tin support much multimedia features connected messages and marque it easier to nonstop things similar GIFs and hi-resolution videos, and besides marque radical messaging better. The crushed wherefore is due to the fact that RCS operates implicit the internet, not connected a carrier's bandwidth. Text messages sent with RCS would enactment similar iMessages betwixt iPhone users, according to The Verge.

For example, similar successful iMessage, Google Messages users volition beryllium capable to ticker YouTube videos successful the app, and tin marque a calendar lawsuit if a day oregon clip is sent successful a message.

Google wants to propulsion much carriers and developers towards RCS and distant from SMS. Carriers similar AT&T and Verizon, and manufacturers similar Samsung and LG, person all promised RCS.

"From a Google perspective, we deliberation each Android idiosyncratic should conscionable person messaging implicit Wi-Fi," Sanaz Ahari, who manages Android and concern communications astatine Google, told The Verge. She added that the Android and Apple ecosystems person "a batch of conversations."

Google nor Apple instantly responded to Insider's petition for comment.

In August, Android launched a page connected its website calling Apple out for refusing "to follow modern texting standards erstwhile radical with iPhones and Android phones substance each other." The leafage has buttons that instrumentality users to Twitter to tweet astatine Apple to "stop breaking my texting experience. #GetTheMessage" with a nexus to Android's leafage urging Apple to "fix texting."

"We would overmuch similar that everybody adopts RCS which has the capableness to enactment due reactions," Jan Jedrzejowicz, Google Messages merchandise manager, said in a briefing earlier the Messages updates were announced. "But successful the lawsuit that's not imaginable oregon hasn't happened yet, this feels similar the adjacent champion thing."

Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he doesn't get a lot of feedback from iPhone users that Apple needs to hole messaging betwixt iPhones and Androids. Apple doesn't person overmuch inducement to bash so, either. In ineligible documents from a 2021 lawsuit betwixt Epic Games and Apple, an Apple enforcement said "Moving iMessage to Android volition wounded america much than assistance us."