Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Learn more.
Apple’s last laugh? Green bubbles to stay despite RCS adoption
In This Article
Apple caving intoadopting the RCS messaging standardfor iPhone to Android text conversations doesn’t mean the fabled green bubbles are going anywhere.
While confirming that theRCSUniversal Profile will be replace SMS and MMS messages for cross-platform conversations in 2024, Apple also said those texts will be represented by green bubbles in chat threads.
Pay just £33 per month for Sky Glass, Sky TV and Netflix
Looking for a new TV as well a Sky TV package? Then you won’t find a better deal than this, as a new Black Friday sale has made a bundle consisting of a Sky Glass TV, Sky TV subscription and Netflix for just £33 per month and a one-off £10 upfront fee.
The blue bubbles, long considered a class system by critics of Apple’s policies, will still be reserved for iMessage conversations between Apple users.
Apple confirmed the decision to9to5Macreporter Chance Miller. He wrote:
“Apple has confirmed to me that blue bubbles will still be used to represent iMessages, while green bubbles will represent RCS messages. The company uses blue bubbles to denote what it believes is the best and most secure way for iPhone users to communicate, which is iMessage.”
There’s still plenty of advantages for those exchanging messages across the operating system divide.
The adoption of RCS will finally meaniPhoneand Android users will be able to exchange high resolution photos and videos – which are almost unwatchable when sent via MMS – and will see long-requested features like live typing indicators and read receipts.
The security of RCS is also greatly improved compared to SMS/MMS, but Apple still believes iMessage is the better security option due to end-to-end encryption and the advanced data protection offered via iCloud.
While this is a net plus for mobile users overall, it certainly doesn’t represent Apple opening up iMessage. Still, it will keep the competition regulators at bay, and will satisfy Google and Samsung who have been vocal campaigners for change.
Still, that green bubble, eh lads?
You might like…
Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He’s based in South Florida, USA. …
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.
Why trust our journalism?
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.