Google Executive Wants to Help Apple Make Texts Between Android and iPhone Users More Secure

[MacRumors]

A Google executive is extending an open hand to help Apple adopt RCS, a new communication protocol called Rich Communication Services to iPhone and iPad, that would replace standard SMS and offer improved cross-platform messaging capabilities.

In a tweet, Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google's senior vice president of Android, said that "group chats don't need to break this way," referring to a sub-tweet about the inconvenience Android and iPhone users have in communicating via messages. Alluding to the RCS protocol, Lockheimer goes on to state there is a "Really Clear Solution" and that he is offering an "open invitation to the folks who can make this right," with the "folks" in question being a reference to Apple.

Google has been rolling out RCS for the past several years, and in July, all three major carriers in the U.S. pledged to adopt RCS, which, compared to SMS, offers support for higher quality photos and videos, audio messages, improved security, and better group chats.

With RCS, Android to Android messaging communication will become fully end-to-end encrypted. In contrast, Android to iPhone communication often referred to as the "green bubble," will be less secure due to Apple's unwillingness to adopt RCS.

Article Link: Google Executive Wants to Help Apple Make Texts Between Android and iPhone Users More Secure

 

[IsaacM]

Americans seem to use "blue chat bubbles" as some sort of class differentiator and a bragging right, so Apple will hold onto that selling point for the foreseeable future.

In Europe, WhatsApp is standard. It's not ideal (Facebook owned), but at least its available on every phone.

 

[BootsWalking]

Perhaps Apple could develop RCS support using some of the $11 Billion Google pays privacy-minded Apple every year to look the other way and pretend Google isn't monetizing Apple users' privacy.

 

[jecowa]

I'm only just hearing of RSC, and i don't know anything about it except that i definitely want it on my next phone. SMS is super old. An upgrade sounds great.

 

[@Brett]

Americans seem to use "blue chat bubbles" as some sort of class differentiator and a bragging right, so Apple will hold onto that selling point for the foreseeable future.

In Europe, WhatsApp is standard. It's not ideal (Facebook owned), but at least its available on every phone.

Great guess what there is more to the globe then the United States and Europe. Nearly all my friends and family are iPhone users and I do not car what colour it is about being connected but still I really want nothing to do with Google. They have had years to sort out their messaging mess and now they are basically asking for Apples help. And it is Googles implementation of RCS it is not the standard version from what I have read.

 

[@Brett]

Perhaps Apple could develop RCS support using some of the $11 Billion Google pays privacy-minded Apple every year to put its corporate fingers in its ears and pretend Google isn't monetizing Apple's users search queries.

They may pay Apple to be default but I am sure there are Apple users like me who quickly change that to something like Duck Duck Go.

 

[SpringKid]

In Europe, WhatsApp is standard. It's not ideal (Facebook owned), but at least its available on every phone.

As a fellow European, I'm not entirely sure I believe this, unless you have some statistics to back it up with?

I've never used WhatsApp, by the way.

 

[heystu]

Apple unwilling to adopt RCS and won't let anyone else play with iMessage, so it's the end-user that suffers with lack of secure messaging. We'll either have to sell our souls to Facebook Inc and use WhatsApp or disown any 'friends' who use Android I guess..

 

[Jeaz]

Americans seem to use "blue chat bubbles" as some sort of class differentiator and a bragging right, so Apple will hold onto that selling point for the foreseeable future.

In Europe, WhatsApp is standard. It's not ideal (Facebook owned), but at least its available on every phone.

I’m in Europe and no one I know use WhatsApp exclusively. I’d say Messenger is more popular.

 

[LasseFar93]

Americans seem to use "blue chat bubbles" as some sort of class differentiator and a bragging right, so Apple will hold onto that selling point for the foreseeable future.

In Europe, WhatsApp is standard. It's not ideal (Facebook owned), but at least its available on every phone.

I'm from Denmark, and literally no one uses WhatsApp. Facebook Messenger, is they most used messaging app here, no one barely uses SMS.

 

[FlyingTexan]

Americans seem to use "blue chat bubbles" as some sort of class differentiator and a bragging right, so Apple will hold onto that selling point for the foreseeable future.

In Europe, WhatsApp is standard. It's not ideal (Facebook owned), but at least its available on every phone.

WhatsApp sucks and looks very unpolished. It’s the opposite of secure. Signal is much better and its still a far cry from messages.

Messages is the main reason I’ve stayed with iOS. Apple isn’t going to open it up to Google.

 

[Wildkraut]

Hey Google, what's going on? Making a step forward?
Sadly Apple will act stubborn here...

Monopoly first! ©2021 Apple

 

[ruka.snow]

RCS is a great idea and txt messages do need to naturally move to IP technologies. Thankfully a lot of carriers in Scotland have moved to let you get texts via WiFi Calling, but not all of them yet so a lot of people trying to do online shopping have to travel to a coverage area in order to get their pin.

 

[xxray]

Use Signal

 

[ian87w]

Although it would be great if RCS becomes truly universal and replaces SMS as it was intended, imo Google should be making sure all Android have it first. Right now, only Samsung adopted it, and even then it’s not turned on by default. All Chinese OEMs don’t support RCS on their default SMS apps. That’s the problem. If Google can ensure at least 90% of Android have this turned on by default, then maybe things might be different as people will use it by default.

Right now, to use RCS, a person using Android other than Samsung or Pixel have to consciously download Google Messages first to replace their default SMS app. That alone already kills RCS. Google should require RCS support for Android certification if they want RCS to gain traction.

And we have not even touched the carriers. There’s a reason Apple just did their own thing with iMessage. Too much inept parties involved in RCS.

 

[Wildkraut]

Just extended the list...

✅ Third-party Payment
🔲 Third-party AppStore
🔲 Sideloading
🔲 OpenNFC
🔲 Different Browser Engines
🔲 Enforce Messages RCS communication

Just a matter of time till the other check boxes become ✅, too.
Laws to the rescue...

 

[bollman]

SMS is used for notifications, not for communication, that was the entire idea of the service.
What app you actually use, signal, whatsapp, messenger, is probably due to what preferences exist in your bubble of friends, but iMessage sure is no big hit in Sweden.

 

[SpringKid]

SMS is used for notifications, not for communication, that was the entire idea of the service.
What app you actually use, signal, whatsapp, messenger, is probably due to what preferences exist in your bubble of friends, but iMessage sure is no big hit in Sweden.

Sure, that might have been the original idea, but let's not pretend it's not being used for communication. 😅

Also, with iPhone being extremely popular here in Sweden, I would guess your statement about iMessage is not really accurate.

 

[TheOldChevy]

SMS works with all phones, including non-smart phones (like many older people have, any children should have instead of smart phones). RCS is probably nice but can only be adopted when it is backward compatible with SMS and low-end non-smart phones.

 

[cliveren13]

No one wins only the companies here siding with one side or the other doesn't work for us the consumers as someone who switches between Android and iPhone i have to turn of imessage each time to get texts on android makes no sense its an easy fix but why should they. its a 2 party system

 

[SpringKid]

No one wins only the companies here siding with one side or the other doesn't work for us the consumers as someone who switches between Android and iPhone i have to turn of imessage each time to get texts on android makes no sense its an easy fix but why should they. its a 2 party system

Turn off iMessage? There is an option to automatically send as SMS to anyone not using iMessage.

 

[MJaP]

According to Statistica WhatApp is the most used messaging app in the world by a big margin. Only going on personal experience on myself and maybe 100+ friends I interact with WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are the two ways we communicate. I have an iPhone and I don't see what all the "I stay with IOS because of Messenger" argument is all about, it's nothing special and is limited when it comes to communicating with my non-Apple friends. Apple doesn't like to play nice with the other children.

 

[Nozuka]

SMS works with all phones, including non-smart phones (like many older people have, any children should have instead of smart phones). RCS is probably nice but can only be adopted when it is backward compatible with SMS and low-end non-smart phones.

It can just work like iMessage/SMS. Just another service to try inbetween. Check if other phone is also an iPhone, if not try RCS, if not send SMS.

 

[Morichan]

I’m in Europe and no one I know use WhatsApp exclusively. I’d say Messenger is more popular.

I’m in Europe and I’d say Messenger and WhatsApp have similar popularity.

 

[SpringKid]

According to Statistica WhatApp is the most used messaging app in the world by a big margin.

More people are using other services, though. 🙂 You should look at that chart as a pie chart in your mind.