News Google pushes Apple to adopt a new kind of text messaging, criticizes...

Google pushes Apple to adopt a new kind of text messaging, criticizes ‘green bubbles’

Android mascots are lined up within the demonstration space on the Google I/O Builders Convention within the Moscone Middle in San Francisco.

Beck Diefenbach | Reuters

Google, the developer of the Android, is rising the stress on Apple to adopt RCS, a next-generation customary for text messaging.

It argues that Apple’s assist of RCS would assist forestall some of the issues that come up when iPhone customers text with Android homeowners. At present, photographs and video do not present as clearly as they might, for instance, and texts cannot be despatched over Wi-Fi networks.

Google executives have instructed that Apple will not assist RCS as a result of its personal system, iMessage, helps the Cupertino firm retain iPhone customers by locking them into the Apple ecosystem.

In a web site and publicity marketing campaign on Tuesday, Google blamed Apple for creating a substandard expertise when iPhones text Android telephones or vice versa.

“We’re hoping that Android customers cease being blamed for ruining chats,” Google world vp for built-in advertising and marketing for platforms, Adrienne Lofton, stated. “That is Apple that’s accountable, and it is time to personal the accountability.”

The marketing campaign is a notable escalation in an ongoing compatibility spat between the 2 corporations that dominate software program for smartphones. Practically all smartphones on this planet both run Android or Apple’s iOS, and Apple’s iPhone has over 55% of the U.S. market, in accordance to StatCounter.

Google needs Apple to assist the RCS “customary,” or specs that permit many alternative corporations comparable to carriers or telephone makers to develop apps that may ship and obtain RCS messages. Many Android telephones have already got built-in messaging apps that assist RCS.

A key battleground

Messaging companies have turn out to be a key battleground for tech giants as a result of if a consumer’s contacts all use the identical service, then the consumer is “locked-in” and fewer seemingly to swap to one other platform or app.

Fb mum or dad Meta, which owns WhatsApp, has stated that it competes straight with Apple as a result of of how extensively used iMessage is in america. Messaging has additionally drawn consideration from some policymakers who’re pushing to drive competing companies to work with one another below truthful competitors guidelines.

Hiroshi Lockheimer, a Google senior vp in cost of Android, stated earlier this 12 months that Apple is utilizing its personal text messaging platform to lock in its clients, referring to inside Apple emails that have been made public throughout a lawsuit final 12 months that confirmed senior Apple executives taking pictures down proposals to convey an iMessage app to Android.

“I’m involved iMessage on Android would merely serve to take away an impediment to iPhone households giving their youngsters Android telephones,” present Apple senior vp in cost of software program Craig Federighi wrote in 2013, in accordance to an electronic mail.

Apple’s iMessage is barely completely different from different messaging companies as a result of it’s the default text messaging app on the iPhone.

Apple’s methods detect when an iPhone texts one other iPhone and, as an alternative of sending that message via the SMS system, it makes use of Apple’s personal proprietary iMessage community. Customers see the text they despatched as a “blue bubble,” as opposed to the inexperienced coloration seen on SMS texts, like these to Android customers. The inferiority of “inexperienced bubble” texts has turn out to be a meme and impressed a tune by the musician Drake.

iMessage chats present a higher consumer expertise than SMS chats on an iPhone. Many of Apple’s options, like including emoji reactions to a single text message, barely work on SMS chats. iMessage chats really feel sooner as a result of of Apple’s animations and embrace options like learn recipes, bubbles that point out whether or not a consumer is typing, and superior group chats.

Apple continues to distinguish iMessage from SMS via new options, like the flexibility to unsend or edit messages, which can be launched this fall.

Inexperienced bubbles

Inexperienced and blue bubbles.

Pattonmania | Istock | Getty Pictures

Google says that it does not need Apple to convey iMessage to Android, however that it needs Apple to assist RCS, which was developed by a group of wi-fi carriers and different tech corporations to be an enchancment to the SMS and MMS methods which were in place for many years.

Google’s marketing campaign on Tuesday emphasizes that RCS assist for iPhones would permit a number of new options when an iPhone consumer texts an Android consumer, together with higher-resolution images, the flexibility to ship texts over Wi-Fi, and the flexibility to show learn receipts.

Google additionally says that RCS messages are encrypted whereas SMS messages usually are not, which means that the new customary is extra non-public.

“If [Apple] adopted the platform, it permits customers to take pleasure in issues like high-res images and video sharing, learn receipts, wealthy reactions,” Lofton stated. “And this is a vital one — higher safety and privateness with encryption.”

However SMS just isn’t essential for messaging in lots of markets and Google’s marketing campaign is concentrated on the U.S. market. In lots of international locations, customers text via apps comparable to WhatsApp or Telegram or WeChat.

Actually, Google really useful in its marketing campaign on Tuesday that customers may already obtain Sign or WhatsApp, declaring that these free apps are as safe as RCS guarantees to be.

Apple has remained silent on RCS and continues to add options to iMessage, which solely works on iPhones and different Apple merchandise. Apple did not reply to a request for remark.

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