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It seems like you (and a whole lot of people in this thread) don't understand how iMessage and texting works. Let me take a stab at this: To text with non-Appl

It seems like you (and a whole lot of people in this thread) don't understand how iMessage and texting works. Let me take a stab at this: To text with non-Apple phones, iMessage uses SMS over the cellular network. This is pre-smartphone technology. A few years ago, SMS was upgraded to RCS (still over the cell network though). Lots of features were added. But Apple refuses to update their old SMS implementation in iMessage. Now on the other hand, to text with other iMessage users, iMessage uses Apple's own proprietary iMessage protocols over the IP network (the internet); Just like Telegram and WhatsApp does. Apple refuses to bring iMessage to other devices and doesn't let other messengers implement it's proprietary iMessage protocols. I hope you realize, the reason you have a substandard experience communicating with Android users is because Apple wants you to.

jiggawatts 5y ago
> still over the cell network though That's the rub. Why would Apple allow text messages to be once again controlled by both telcos and governments, including interception? > doesn't let other messengers implement it's proprietary iMessage protocols. I can't find an open standards document anywhere on the Internet for RCS. Can you? From what I'm reading, it's a mish-mash of random proprietary "standards" that were each an extension written by one or more telcos or corporations. The current "standard" probably isn't one in any meaningful way, and I would be money that it's full of security flaws due to the heterogeneous design.
- discardedrefuse 5y ago
  > That's the rub. Why would Apple allow text messages to be once again controlled by both telcos and governments, including interception? SMS text messaging ONLY works over the carrier's cell network, never IP. Its a hold-over from another time. It should've had died when phones became internet connected. But it didn't, and now we've tied MFA to it... so its here to stay. > I can't find an open standards document anywhere on the Internet for RCS. Can you? I haven't looked into RCS in a long time. But I do remember it wasn't great. The reason its such a mish-mash of carrier "standards" is because that is exactly what SMS is. When text messaging first came out, you could not message someone on a different carrier. Eventually carriers bridged their messaging networks, but it was always a hot mess (especially when it came to MMS).

jiggawatts 5y ago

> still over the cell network though That's the rub. Why would Apple allow text messages to be once again controlled by both telcos and governments, including interception? > doesn't let other messengers implement it's proprietary iMessage protocols. I can't find an open standards document anywhere on the Internet for RCS. Can you? From what I'm reading, it's a mish-mash of random proprietary "standards" that were each an extension written by one or more telcos or corporations. The current "standard" probably isn't one in any meaningful way, and I would be money that it's full of security flaws due to the heterogeneous design.

discardedrefuse 5y ago
> That's the rub. Why would Apple allow text messages to be once again controlled by both telcos and governments, including interception? SMS text messaging ONLY works over the carrier's cell network, never IP. Its a hold-over from another time. It should've had died when phones became internet connected. But it didn't, and now we've tied MFA to it... so its here to stay. > I can't find an open standards document anywhere on the Internet for RCS. Can you? I haven't looked into RCS in a long time. But I do remember it wasn't great. The reason its such a mish-mash of carrier "standards" is because that is exactly what SMS is. When text messaging first came out, you could not message someone on a different carrier. Eventually carriers bridged their messaging networks, but it was always a hot mess (especially when it came to MMS).