ET Explains: Apple's RCS adoption and how it will affect Indian users
Nothing said it is launching a mobile application to support blue chat bubbles on iMessage for Android users, US tech giant Apple announced it will adopt RCS (rich communication services) messaging standard, which will be enabled via a software update “later next year”. ET explains what this means.
Apple’s software update will enable a range of iMessage-like features for messaging between iOS and Android users.
Experts see this as a big step closer to making texting more inclusive for cross-platform communications.
“Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association. We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS,” Apple said in a statement. “This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users.”
What is RCS?
RCS is a messaging protocol developed by the GSM Association. The next-generation messaging protocol offers features akin to WhatsApp and Telegram messaging, and is seen replacing SMS and MMS.
Why is this a big deal?
After keeping its walled gardens secure with proprietary offerings, Apple’s move to support the RCS protocol on its iPhones came on the last day to appeal against the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which requires major internet companies, such as Apple, to make their services interoperable with other platforms.
Google and Samsung have been strong proponents of RCS, having long pushed Apple to add the required support with multiple marketing campaigns. With Apple’s latest move, messages from Android devices will now be able to display much more than just text and symbols, bringing
