Q: Why do my Android movies look horrible once I textual content them to my spouse’s iPhone?
A: For a few years, texting between Android and iPhone customers has been difficult due to the proprietary messaging platform Apple selected to include often known as iMessage.
A competing multi-media messaging know-how often known as RCS (Wealthy Communication Companies) turned the usual that Android gadgets assist.
Improved messaging between Android and iPhone
After they launched iMessage in 2011, it was a huge leap in messaging over the SMS (textual content solely) and MMS (restricted multi-media) requirements as a result of it had the power to ship high-quality images, movies, voice notes, and extra with out the dimensions and compression limitations of MMS.
It additionally didn’t depend on carriers to ship messages like SMS/MMS does as a result of it allowed all messaging to be despatched over Wi-Fi as effectively.
One other profit was that it synchronized messaging throughout all Apple gadgets (telephone, pill, & laptop) for customers and offered end-to-end encryption for higher safety.
Blue vs inexperienced bubbles when texting between Android and iPhone
iMessage additionally launched the “blue vs. inexperienced” message bubbles which offered a visible indicator to Apple customers so they’d know when a message was being despatched by way of iMessage (blue) vs SMS/MMS (inexperienced).
Over time, this transcended the technological variations and have become a social stigma and a nuisance in group messaging when it included each Android and iPhone customers, particularly when video was concerned.
Movies despatched and obtained within the group by Android customers could be closely compressed and pixelated, making them powerful to view as a result of they’d revert to the inferior MMS normal to ship because of Apple’s lack of assist for the RCS normal.
Apple lastly helps RCS
Whereas Apple introduced they’d finally assist RCS some time in the past, the rollout of iOS 18 makes it official, which ought to scale back among the annoyances that cross-platform messaging has turn out to be for each Android and iPhone customers.
What RCS Will Do
With RCS assist in iOS 18, images and movies will lastly be despatched in larger resolutions to and from Android customers and options resembling typing indicators, learn receipts and prolonged emojis will probably be accessible throughout all gadgets in a gaggle.
It additionally implies that Wi-Fi messaging will now be cross-platform which eliminates the necessity for a wi-fi provider to message between iPhone and Android customers.
What RCS assist gained’t do between Android and iPhone
The inexperienced vs blue bubble indicator gained’t change and when messages are despatched by way of RCS, they gained’t have end-to-end encryption, so that they’ll be much less safe.
If you’d like cross-platform media assist and safe messaging, particularly with worldwide customers that could be with carriers that gained’t initially assist RCS, messaging apps such WhatsApp or Sign provide a free answer.
Supported gadgets and carriers solely
iOS 18 is just suitable with iPhone XR devices or newer so, it gained’t be an answer for older fashions resembling iPhone X or iPhone 8.
Whereas the three main carriers (T-Cell, Verizon, and AT&T) assist RCS, not all MVNO’s (Cell Digital Community Operators) resembling Increase Cell and Mint Cell are incorporating RCS assist simply but.
This complicated array of gadgets and carriers that must assist RCS implies that will probably be some time earlier than all of your group messaging will turn out to be much less annoying. Nevertheless, it’s a great begin.
