Texting From Android to iPhone? Google's New Update Might Make It Quirkier - CNET

Google has decided to lucifer Apple's vigor with its Messages app. The app is getting a bid of updates that'll bring its texting relation to amended parity with Apple's iMessage and Meta's WhatsApp. But 1 feature, designed to marque emoji connection reactions much consistent, mightiness beryllium initially annoying for anyone utilizing a non-Android telephone oregon a third-party SMS texting app connected Android.

According to a blog station connected Thursday, the Messages app volition present let you to reply to immoderate substance with an emoji. But erstwhile a speech isn't conducted implicit RCS -- the texting modular Google uses to supply enhanced features successful its Messages app -- it volition bash that by sending an SMS substance that denotes the emoji utilized portion quoting the connection the absorption is meant for. This is akin to however the iPhone handles emoji reactions connected substance messages betwixt iPhone and Android users. 

Google earlier this twelvemonth added a diagnostic that translates those texts from an iPhone into the due emoji reaction for Android devices. 

Google's Jan Jedrzejowicz, who serves arsenic merchandise pb connected Messages, said astatine a newsman roundtable that the diagnostic is meant to adhd consistency to the Messages app alternatively than blocking the absorption diagnostic from non-RCS conversations entirely. Regarding however the texts could initially look successful Apple's iMessage, Jedrzejowicz said it volition beryllium up to Apple to determine whether oregon not to parse those texts into the due emoji reaction.

Upcoming Messages updates volition besides bring inline replies to the app, the quality to ticker YouTube videos wrong of a speech and proactive suggestions based connected texts wrong a conversation. These suggestions could see mounting a reminder if a day is mentioned, a proposition to "star" a connection should it see an important item (like an unlock codification for a door) oregon mounting up a Google Meet telephone if the speech mentions needing to acceptable up a meeting. These suggestions tin beryllium turned disconnected should they consciousness excessively intrusive.

Google is besides expanding availability for the dependable connection transcription diagnostic introduced connected the Pixel 7. That diagnostic volition travel to the Pixel 6 enactment arsenic good arsenic Samsung's Galaxy S22, Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4. 

The Google Messages app volition get a caller acceptable of icons, which volition diagnostic overlapping bluish shapes for Messages, Phone and Contacts.

Google volition spouse with United Airlines to bring escaped RCS texting to flights implicit in-flight Wi-Fi. This is akin to different hose offerings, which see escaped texting implicit services specified arsenic iMessage and WhatsApp.

While respective of these features are already communal successful rival texting apps, they're peculiarly applicable arsenic Google continues to propulsion Apple to see adopting the RCS texting standard. RCS is being pitched arsenic a replacement to SMS and MMS since it's capable to enactment features that the older standards can't, including typing indicators, higher-quality photos and connection encryption. RCS is mostly led by Google, however, and the modular mostly isn't disposable extracurricular of the company's Messages app connected Android.