Google has launched a “Get the Message” campaign to pressure Apple into adopting RCS.
During Google I/O this year, Google dedicated an entire segment to pushing Apple to adopt RCS. In June, the search giant posted a short “lyric explainer video” for Drake’s “Texts Go Green” on its Twitter account.
Since that didn’t do the trick, Google has launched a new campaign called “Get the Message.” Messaging from the ad reads:
“It’s not about the color of the bubbles. It’s the blurry videos, broken group chats, missing read receipts and typing indicators, no texting over Wi-Fi, and more. These problems exist because Apple refuses to adopt modern texting standards when people with iPhones and Android phones text each other.”
Here’s what adopting the new messaging protocol would mean for Apple.
Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a communication protocol replacing SMS and MMS on Android devices.
In 2018, Google announced its partnership with major mobile phone carriers worldwide to adopt the messaging standard. Also, the company currently works with Samsung to allow RCS features to work seamlessly between Samsung Messages and Android messages.
Despite RCS’s growing adoption, Apple seems reluctant to make the leap just yet. Instead, iPhones continue to support SMS or MMS when texting an Android device, leading to pressure from Google.
How Rich Communication Services (RCS) Could Benefit iPhone Users
Currently, Apple converts texts between iPhones and Androids into SMS and MMS — an outdated technology from the ’90s.
As a result, a simple text from an iPhone user to a Samsung phone could raise several issues. These include blurry photos and videos, problems sending texts over Wi-Fi, and a lack of end-to-end encryption.
So, users rely on third-party apps such as Skype, WhatsApp, and Telegram to communicate between Android and iOS.
However, Google points out that Apple can address these issues by switching to RCS. The messaging protocol delivers several message-specific features for convenient communication across operating systems. If Apple adopts the new standard, we can say goodbye to bubble color discrimination.
Learn more about Google’s “Get the Message” campaign here.
