Apple to bridge message divide – however retains inexperienced bubbles

Hopes have risen that the period of inexperienced and blue message bubbles on iPhones would possibly ultimately come to an finish.

Currently solely iMessages from iPhones have blue bubbles.

Apple says it’ll help a brand new messaging customary that may make it simpler to ship texts between telephones.

But messages from Android telephones will nonetheless seem as inexperienced bubbles, suggesting those that need the bubble divide to burst could have an extended wait.

The firm mentioned it’ll introduce help for a brand new messaging customary – Rich Communication Services (RCS) – on iPhones and iOS gadgets from 2024.

RCS is a typical designed to make it simpler for telephones on completely different working programs to alternate messages.

The transfer, first reported by 9to5Mac, has been considered as a sea-change for Apple.

Apple plans to introduce help for the messaging customary in a software program launch later subsequent yr.

An Apple spokesperson advised the tech publication that RCS could be higher for customers in search of to message customers of rival telephones in comparison with SMS or MMS.

“This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users” the spokesperson mentioned.

Google, which develops the Android cellphone working system, has been the most important competitor calling on Apple to allow RCS.

Its “get the message” marketing campaign has emphasised that apart from frustration for some customers met with green-coloured messages on iPhones or iOS gadgets, SMS and MMS messages aren’t protected by end-to-end encryption.

Recent EU guidelines for digital platforms could have additionally inspired Apple’s adoption of RCS.

The bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires suppliers of main digital providers – so known as “core services” – to introduce methods for customers of their platforms to simply work together with rival platforms – together with sending messages between rival programs.

The Financial Times reported in early November that Google and different companies had written to the European Commission, urging it to declare Apple’s iMessage a core service that ought to be interoperable with rivals like WhatsApp.

Apple has argued iMessage should not be topic to those guidelines, however the European Commission had mentioned in September it was investigating whether or not Apple’s iMessage ought to be deemed a core service.

Earlier this yr Apple was compelled to ditch its signature lightning port on new iPhones to satisfy EU necessities for a typical charging cable.

Apple’s announcement comes days after cellphone producer Nothing launched a approach for house owners of its newest smartphone to ship iMessages to iPhone customers.

The firm mentioned its app Nothing Chats would supply a bridge between iPhone and Android handsets and let customers join through blue bubble messages.

Responding to the information of Apple adopting RCS the corporate posted on X (previously Twitter), “looks like they got the message”.