Google SVP Hiroshi Lockheimer has extended an open invitation to help Apple embrace RCS messaging.
RCS is the next-gen text messaging that brings Android on par with iOS. For years, Android’s messaging was little more than basic SMS. As a result, it had limited to no support for read receipts, group management, file sharing and encryption.
Google has been pushing RCS for some time, and many of the major carriers have finally started adopting the newer protocol. Google’s RCS implementation brings those features that were sorely lacking, including end-to-end encryption.
Unfortunately, there is no cross-platform compatibility between Apple’s iMessage and RCS. As far as iOS is concerned, texting an Android phone is no different from texting a phone with basic SMS — even if that phone is using RCS. That means no read receipts, no file sharing, no group management and no end-to-end encryption between the platforms.
Google, at least, appears willing to change that. Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP for Android, opened the door in a tweet.
💚 Group chats don't need to break this way. There exists a Really Clear Solution. Here's an open invitation to the folks who can make this right: we are here to help. 💚💙 https://t.co/4P6xfsQyT0
— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) October 7, 2021
Hopefully Apple will take Google up on the offer, easing a major cross-platform pain point. Realistically…it’s probably never going to happen.