After opposing RCS for years, Apple decided to support the protocol on its iPhones. And contrary to what one might believe, it was not the European Union that succeeded in bringing the Apple to its knees…
Despite all its efforts, Google is struggling to generalize RCS – Rich Communication Services –, in particular because of Apple which stubbornly refuses to implement this communication protocol intended to replace SMS and MMS for the exchange of messages on mobile. The Internet giant has constantly demanded the management of this messaging standard in iMessage, the Apple firm has always preferred to keep its proprietary format, thus blocking the generalization of this universal system.
Apple iMessage: yes to RCS, no to interoperability
But things are changing. And Apple will finally adopt RCS this year. In A press release published last November, the American company announced that, during 2024 – probably for the release of iOS 18 – RCS would be added to its platforms. “We believe the RCS Universal Profile will provide a better interoperability experience compared to SMS or MMS. This will work in parallel with iMessage, which will continue to be the best performing and most secure messaging experience for users. ‘Apple’explained Tim Cook’s firm.
A great victory for Google – and a real benefit for users. But it is not the European Union which is at the origin of this about-face, as one might have believed with the entry into force of the Digital Markets Act (the famous DMA) next March which will impose new rules for major digital players in Europe. In fact, it is China that would have required support for this technology, as revealed by John Gruber on his blog Daring Fireball, confirming the rumor. Because when Beijing demands, Apple listens, the Middle Kingdom being one of its main markets and its main production workshop. In short, this is a giant step forward for messaging interoperability, even if certain details cloud the picture.
For the record, let us point out in passing that unlike WhatsApp, iMessage will not be forced into interoperability by the DMA. As reported Bloomberg, the European authorities have in fact estimated that proprietary messaging was not “important” enough on the market – understanding that it does not have enough users – to have to submit to this rule of openness to other messaging services. . A relief for Apple, which wants to keep control of its tools to control its precious ecosystem. But also a small slap in the face insofar as this decision results from a rather unflattering observation for the proud company which continues to praise the superiority of its solutions…
RCS: a universal communications protocol
The RCS (for Rich Communication Services) is a communication protocol intended to replace the aging SMS and MMS for the exchange of messages on mobile. Developed since 2012 by the main telephony players, RCS is both more sophisticated and richer than SMS, with functions similar to those offered by apps like WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram or iMessage. Like these services, RCS goes through the Internet, more precisely, through mobile data, while SMS uses the 2G cellular network. In fact, like these instant messengers, it offers much more flexibility and functions than traditional SMS and MMS: receipt and reading acknowledgments, real-time location and input indicator, sending high quality photos and videos, group chats, video calls, etc. In addition, like SMS, it does not depend on any specific company or any particular app, unlike WhatsApp, Messenger or iMessage: simply use a compatible application – such as Google Messages – to exchange instantly, regardless of the telephone operator. It is not a proprietary format, but an open protocol. In short, it combines all the advantages of a standardized protocol like SMS with those of a “private” and modern messaging app.
However, despite its qualities and its promises, the RCS struggles to convince. It has not been massively adopted by operators, who still seem to be content with the SMS-MMS duo and instant messaging apps. Only Google seems to want to promote it, through its Messages application, often installed as standard on Android phones. To abandon SMS in favor of RCS, manufacturers and mobile telephony players need a strong boost, which Apple could well provide.
RCS in iMessage: blue bubble or green bubble?
But why such an about-face after years of refusal? One might have thought that it was due to pressure coming from the European Union. Indeed, the legislation on digital markets (DMA) imposes a certain level of interoperability between messaging services, and the RCS could be this common gateway. However, it is not. We owe this progress to China, whose operators greatly appreciate RCS. Also, the Chinese government has begun to develop, in 2023, a law requiring all new 5G smartphones available in the country to integrate this technology. It remains to be hoped that support for the technology will be widespread and not just limited to Beijing…
But all is not rosy, because the Apple company does not intend to abandon iMessage. As she explained last November, the integration of the RCS will be done “alongside iMessage”. Simply put, messages sent between Apple devices will continue to use iMessage while those between Android devices will use RCS rather than SMS, in order to benefit from the benefits of the new protocol. As a result, the opposition between blue bubbles, sent from an iPhone, and green bubbles, sent from an Android smartphone, will continue to exist, even if there will be a smaller gap in terms of functions between the two protocols. And that remains a problem…
Indeed, the color of the text bubble has become an important social marker, particularly across the Atlantic, to such an extent that young people fear being excluded from social groups if they do not display an iPhone. In the United States, 87% of the famous Gen Z are on iOS. For others, it’s impossible to go unnoticed, because messages sent from an Android device are displayed in green, while those sent from an iPhone are displayed in blue. Therefore, teenagers fear being excluded from their social circle if they use an Android smartphone. A “social selection” that reaches down to the romantic strata – and that’s without counting the numerous cases of school harassment, which Apple will continue to fuel (see our article). Result: social pressure is a real selling point that Apple will certainly not deprive itself of! Afterwards, it is true that in terms of security, iMessage is a little better off, since the messages are end-to-end encrypted, which is not the case, by default, for RCS messages – a point which does not does not bother China, its Government paying little attention to the confidentiality of its citizens’ data. Apple still indicated last November that it wanted to work with the GSMA association to improve the protocol, making it more robust and more secure.