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Android users can finally choose precious blue bubbles
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Google has begun to roll out the Google Messages update, which enables users to choose custom message bubble colours and backgrounds.
9to5Googlereportsthe update previewed late last year is slowly rolling out to all users of the RCS-based communications app. Users will be able to select a “change colours” option within a particular conversation and customise the hues for messages sent, received and the background colour for the chat.
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The report said the changes only apply to messages exchanged within theRCS standardrather than SMS, so it won’t quite solve the issue for messages exchanged between iPhone and Android owners. At least for now.
The two-tiered blue and green bubble discussion has become a symbolic battleground in the last couple of years with Googleaggressively pushing Apple towards embracing RCS messaging. That gives mutual benefits of delivery reports, read receipts, encryption and higher resolution videos and images when sharing messages across platforms.
Apple has somewhat conceded a change is unavoidable and plans tointroduce support for RCS messagesbetween iPhone and Android at some point this year (probably within iOS 18 this autumn), while iPhone-to-iPhone messages will continue to be conducted over the iMessage protocol.
In a statement last November, Apple said: “Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association. We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS. This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users.”
True parity between the two messaging platforms is unlikely as long as Apple keeps iMessage locked down. The decision of the European Union to allow this suggests that will remain the case indefinitely. In the main, though, support for RCS should solve most of the beefs between the two platforms respective fans.
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Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
