Apple to Support RCS Messaging in 2024, Bridging iOS-Android Divide

The move comes amid EU pressure for greater interoperability, but iMessage remains Apple's preferred platform.

Apple has announced that it will support the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol starting in 2024, ending a long-standing conflict between iOS and Android messaging systems.
RCS is a next-generation replacement for SMS and MMS, offering features such as read receipts, typing indicators, high-resolution image sharing, and end-to-end encryption.
Apple's decision comes amid increasing antitrust scrutiny and pressure from the European Union to improve interoperability between different platforms.
Despite the move towards RCS, Apple has stated that iMessage will continue to be the primary messaging experience for its users, suggesting that the 'green bubble' stigma for Android users may persist.
Smartphone brand Nothing has launched an app called Nothing Chats, which allows Android users to send messages that appear as 'blue bubbles' on iPhones, although this requires users to share their Apple ID with a third party.