There’s good news and bad news for iPhone owners with Android friends. First, the bad: Apple will probably never bring iMessage to Android. But on the bright side, there’s no need for that.
It is impossible to speak in absolute terms without knowing Apple’s future plans. But given the company’s overall product strategy, concern for privacy, and that iMessage is among the reasons some Android owners are switching to iPhone, the chances of Apple expanding its popular messaging service to its main competitor seem slim.
However, there is a glimmer of hope for those of us who have friends and family members who prefer the opposite operating system. Apple has confirmed that next year it will support the Rich Communications Standard for text messaging, or RCS, which means some of the biggest issues with cross-platform texting will soon improve. This means you will no longer have to send distorted videos to your buddies in the green bubble.
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We were reminded again of the dichotomy between the blue bubble and the green bubble recently when Apple started cracking down on apps like Beeper Mini that offer iMessage-like features on Android through workarounds. The fact that these apps exist to begin with, and that Beeper Mini made it to the list of the top 25 free apps for Android just days after its launch, according to Sensor Tower, is another sign that the basic texting experience between iPhone and Android is due for an upgrade.
Don’t expect Apple to fix the problem by bringing iMessage to Android.
Text messaging features that should be universal
It might be an exaggeration to say that chatting with an Android user through the iPhone’s default messaging app is a subpar experience compared to texting other iPhone users. And I’m not just talking about the color of the bubbles, which has been well documented.
Videos appear smaller and distorted when sent to an Android device from an iPhone. There’s also no typing indicator to show when the person you’re messaging has replied to your last message. You don’t have the option to turn on read receipts, and you can’t see if text has already been delivered.
In 2023, these features should be universal rather than platform-specific. As someone with many Android-loving friends, I often find myself turning to third-party chat apps like WhatsApp, Google Chat, and Discord for group conversations. These apps provide consistent experiences no matter what phone you use, unlike your phone’s built-in messaging app, which uses legacy SMS (Short Message Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) protocols for exchanges between iPhone and Android.
Google is pressuring Apple to support RCS, the more modern text messaging standard.
That will start to change later next year when Apple adopts RCS. Apple says the update will offer high-resolution photo and video sharing, more reliable group messaging, read receipts, and the ability to share a person’s location in a cross-platform text thread. This is similar to what Google does with RCS, which is in the Google Messages app on Android phones.
Carriers will have the option to enable RCS once Apple releases the update next year. Apple also says it hopes to work with members of the GSM Association, an industry trade group, to provide stronger encryption for the RCS standard.
“Later next year, we will add support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard currently published by the GSM Association,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “We believe the universal RCS profile will provide a better interoperability experience compared to SMS or MMS. This will work hand-in-hand with iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users.”
Why iMessage probably won’t come to Android
Apple is constantly updating iMessage with new features through new versions of iOS.
Apple has certainly opened up its walled garden in recent years. It brought FaceTime to Android with iOS 15 in 2021 by allowing non-iPhone users to join a video call through a shared link. Just a year ago, the 2020 iOS 14 update gave iPhone owners the option to change their default email and web browser apps for the first time.
But iMessage is different. Since its launch in 2011, iMessage has evolved into more than just a messaging app. It’s almost its own mini operating system, with everything from the ability to send cash to other iPhone users to location sharing tools to compatibility with popular apps like IMDb, Yelp, and TikTok. It’s Apple’s version of what’s called a “super app,” a term used to describe apps like WeChat that act as gateways to other services in addition to serving as communications platforms.
It’s unreasonable to expect Apple to deliver an experience like this for Android. Many iMessage features have become an essential part of the iPhone experience — like SharePlay for listening to music with other iPhone owners, custom stickers you can create from any photo in your library, and of course, Memojis.
These features are by no means essential, but they give the iPhone character and flair. Why should Apple bring this to Android? RCS support seems like the perfect compromise, as it provides a more modern texting experience without bringing iMessage to Android.
“I think so [Apple] “They’ll keep iMessage as their own property,” said Bob O’Donnell, president and chief analyst at Technalogy Research. “They’ll keep some of the interesting little tricks and clever things they do themselves, and then they’ll bring some of the basic core functionality…and bake it in.”
You can create custom stickers from your photos and share them via iMessage.
It’s not just about locking out existing iPhone users, although that’s probably the biggest part of Apple’s motivation for keeping iMessage exclusive. Apple considered bringing iMessage to Android but ultimately decided against it to prevent iPhone users from switching platforms, according to filings documented in Epic Games’ court filings as part of its antitrust dispute against Apple.
But Apple’s product strategy typically involves maintaining control over its products, including the operating systems and chips they run on, so it can fully manage the experience. The launch of iMessage for Android will introduce a lot of variables that are out of Apple’s control since Android phones come in all shapes and sizes, with some models running on older versions of the operating system. This doesn’t mean that Apple is unable to create a cross-platform messaging app. After all, Meta, Signal, and Telegram have all done it. It’s highly unlikely.
Apple will need a compelling reason to bring iMessage to Android, such as using it as a channel to spread its other services to a broader audience, according to Julie Ask, vice president and principal analyst for research firm Forrester. But it will only do so if it can ensure it can bring an Apple-like feel to the Android version of iMessage, which likely means ensuring privacy and security among other factors.
“If there was a scenario where Apple could deliver on its promise and replicate that experience on an Android phone, they probably would,” she said. “But there are 16 ‘if’ words in this statement.”
In another sign that iMessage is unlikely to make its way to Android, European Commission officials are expected to decide that Apple’s messaging platform does not violate the Digital Markets Act, according to Bloomberg. This means Apple likely won’t be required to make iMessage work with other cross-platform messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, the report says.
Given Apple’s focus on safety and peace of mind, I’m glad the company finally sees the value in upgrading the way iPhone and Android users communicate. In emergency situations, iPhone users should be able to see that their text messages sent to loved ones using Android devices have been received and read, for example.
Apple may not be interested in improving Android’s texting experience, and that would be an understandable perspective. But bringing RCS support to the iPhone won’t just please Android users. This will benefit many phone users like me who have a lot of Android friends.
I took over 600 photos with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. See favorites
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Apple’s iMessage has been a widely popular messaging platform exclusive to iOS users, and there has been much speculation about whether it will ever be made available to Android users. However, it is likely that iMessage will never come to Android, and while this may disappoint some, it could actually be a good thing for the messaging platform and its users.