Google is simply as enthusiastic about RCS on the iPhone as we’re—a lot in order that it may well’t wait to inform Android customers about it. In a brand new web site selling the advantages of Google Messages, Google by accident teased the arrival of RCS on iOS “within the fall of 2024.”
The since-deleted reference (first noticed by 9to5Google) is a thinly veiled reference to iOS 18, which is able to arrive in September alongside the brand new iPhones. When Apple introduced in November that RCS was coming to the iPhone “later subsequent 12 months,” all of us assumed that meant it will arrive as an iOS 18 characteristic and now now we have some affirmation of that.
The primary query that is still is whether or not Apple will enable it on all iOS 18 telephones or simply the iPhone 16 fashions. When it introduced RCS, Apple merely mentioned RCS would “work alongside iMessage, which is able to proceed to be the very best and most safe messaging expertise for Apple customers.” That doesn’t essentially imply it can work with all older telephones, although there must be no technical purpose why it will be restricted solely to new gadgets, and it will be uncommon for Apple to announce any characteristic unique to a brand new iPhone far forward of its unveiling.
Google didn’t provide any particulars about particular RCS options in iOS aside from it can carry “a greater messaging expertise for everybody.” Google is among the largest suppliers of RCS via its messaging app on Android, so it is smart that Google can be concerned within the course of.
Google notes on the web page that RCS conversations between Google Messages customers are “protected by end-to-end encryption,” which hasn’t been promised for iOS. Whereas Google provides encryption inside its personal app, it does so with its personal proprietary extension to RCS; Apple is working with the RCS consortium to construct end-to-end encryption into commonplace, which is able to shield all messages ship from the Messages app on an iPhone.