The RCS messaging service has been started one of the points of “confrontation” between Google and Apple for some time now, although more accurately, it would have to be said that this conflict was practically one-way, because in general Apple’s approach was fundamentally passive, while the search engine’s attitude from time to time shook the tree as much as possible, to the delight of those who did not fully understand Apple’s position… or those who understood it too well.

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, RCS (Rich Communication Services) is a protocol developed and published by the GSMA back in 2008 that This was considered the evolution of SMS/MMS messaging. During the early years, and although some operators showed interest in him, the truth is that he passed without pain or glory. It was only after Google became interested in it and integrated it into Android that it started to gain traction and become popular.

However, Apple has always been against introducing RCS messages to iOS, leaving its users “tethered” to SMS messaging when communicating via text messaging with Android users without the use of third-party apps/services. Therefore, Google has taken certain communication actions over time to apply pressure in this regard. For example, he remembers that August 2022, as well as the one that took place at the end of that year.

So the situation, the surprise came at the end of last year, when the first official statement to the contrary was made. First surprise, then joy, were the first reactions to this 180-degree turn, something Google started celebrating months ago. And now, with iOS 18 just over a month away, they decided to celebrate it again with a nice video discussing the merits of RCS over SMS/MMS and celebrating that communication between Android and iOS users. will be significantly improved without the need to use third-party services.

The big problem with RCS is that it arrived late, because it started gaining traction when instant messaging services had already established themselves as the first choice for many users. So we can bet that although this protocol is finally supported by the two major smartphone operating systems, its use will not grow significantly, as most users are already quite accustomed to using WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, etc. Nevertheless, this is an important advance, and therefore it is necessary celebrate.