As part of its ecosystem of devices, applications and services iMessage sits in the walled garden that Apple created as a paradigm its ecosystem. And yes, it’s true that, with exceptions, all platforms have their own spaces where third parties can’t get into, but at the moment it’s indisputable that those from Cupertino are at the top of the table (maybe even leading it). the most restrictive spaces.

Many of the opening moves we’ve seen on the corporate side, It is not born from its own criteria, but from legal pressures. For example, we recently saw that they had no choice but to adopt USB-C as a charging port on the iPhone, a measure evidently motivated by its mandatory nature in the European Union. And yes, it’s true that they did it before the legal deadline (they could have delayed that leap until the next generation), but it’s also true that if it weren’t for this new regulatory framework, the lightning port would still have a long way to go, a life ahead of it.

In this respect, the European Union Digital Markets Act also aims to make an important change. In early September, we learned which companies and services would be directly affected and It will not surprise anyone that Apple has a leading role in this list. From having to open iOS to sideloading and third-party stores to even accepting that Safari is the same browser whether we’re talking about iOS or macOS. When it comes to instant messaging, the most affected technology is Meta with Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, but let’s remember that the EU has an open investigation into iMessage, which could end this service by joining the list.

In the meantime, however, the company continues to try to keep the service off limits. So as we can read in 9to5Google, Apple confirms it has closed access to iMessage from the Beeper Mini, a service that provided access to iMessage from Android. The reason for those from Cupertino is, as always, security, in this case accompanied by the protection of users from spam.

The problem is that for years Apple has refused to bring iMessage to Android, even with a proprietary app, and establish RCS as the foundation of the platform to guarantee connectivity. Recently, we finally learned that Cupertino is backing down and that they will be implementing RCS (probably with iOS 18) in the Messages app at the end of next year. even if they are separate from iMessage. And we have good reason to believe that they do so when they expect a negative statement from the EU on their accusations and hope that this measure will be enough for the regulatory authorities. Whether they achieve it is another matter.