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Perhaps you're missing the point though? Maybe your friends simply don't care enough to switch. Bottom line is iMessage works really well and people like it. S

Perhaps you're missing the point though? Maybe your friends simply don't care enough to switch. Bottom line is iMessage works really well and people like it. Same with FB messenger and Whatsapp. You want to move friends to something else? There needs to be a selling point much larger than just security.

GekkePrutser 4y ago
The problem with moving groups over to iMessage is that you'll always leave some Android users out. Here in Spain Apple has a minority marketshare so that makes iMessage a total non-starter. But even in the US not everyone has an iPhone. And really iMessage is not so much better than the cross-platform alternatives that it's worth leaving some friends out.
- acomjean 4y ago
  iMessage is kinda both its own messenger and SMS client. So when you text a number, I don't think you have a choice of how to send it. If the user is "Apple" it sends as an imessage, if not message, it turns the bubble green (so you know its SMS). Though in the epic trial Apple sees messaging as a "lock in feature" " In another exchange, Apple executives discussed in 2013 whether releasing a version of iMessage for Android would make it easier to switch phone brands. iMessage is still exclusive to Apple products. “I am concerned that the iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove and obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones,” Craig Federighi, Apple software senior vice president, wrote in 2013." https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/epic-games-v-apple-trial-apple-says-it-doesnt-want-to-be-android.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/epic-games-v-apple-trial-app...
- CharlesW 4y ago
  > The problem with moving groups over to iMessage is that you'll always leave some Android users out. I'm on several text chains with a mix of iOS and Android users. It works fine.
  - vinay427 4y ago
    Those aren’t iMessage group chats if they’re using SMS/MMS.
    - GeekyBear 4y ago
      They are SMS/MMS sent from iMessage. It automatically falls back on SMS/MMS when you message someone who is not signed into iMessage.
      - sneak 4y ago
        You are conflating iMessage the service with "Messages" the app. An iMessage is definitionally not an SMS/MMS.
  - superchink 4y ago
    I think maybe your idea of “fine” differs from mine. It is a much worse experience than iMessage. 1. No threading is supported. If you reply, it duplicates the message being replied to. 2. “Tapbacks” (reactions) duplicate the message being reacted to with “so-and-so likes message … message” 3. Photos are reduced to a size that fits in MMS (very low quality) 4. Videos look like postage stamps 5. The chat cannot be renamed or have a photo added 6. Members cannot be added or removed without starting a new group (conversation) 7. No message effects There may be others, but this is off the top of my head.
    - CharlesW 4y ago
      We can disagree and still be friends. > 1. No threading is supported. If you reply, it duplicates the message being replied to. Threading (using "Reply") is not supported in mixed iMessage/SMS/MMS text chains. (I'm using iOS 16, so this may have been (unwisely) supported in earlier Message versions.) > 2. “Tapbacks” (reactions) duplicate the message being reacted to with “so-and-so likes message … message” You can now see iPhone tapbacks on Android phones in Google Messages. I'm not sure if it's on defaultly yet. https://www.macworld.com/article/610908/google-messages-android-green-bubbles-tapbacks-reaction-emoji.html https://www.macworld.com/article/610908/google-messages-andr... The other things you list are limitations and side-effects of the standards used. They're valid, but I consider the experience "fine" without them. If the groups I text with cared about these we would probably use WhatsApp since everyone has that. Signal would be my preference, but it's hard to change people's habits.
kelnos 4y ago
> Perhaps you're missing the point though? Maybe your friends simply don't care enough to switch. Right, I mean, that's exactly the point. I can't force someone else to install a messaging app I'd prefer to use. But if we had an actually-good, cross-platform messaging standard that was implemented in the default, stock messaging app of both Android and iOS, I would not have to depend on my friends caring or not. I could just use it, and know that they will receive the messages.
- gumby 4y ago
  > But if we had an actually-good, cross-platform messaging standard that was implemented in the default, stock messaging app… For billions of people that default is WhatsApp and installing it is as much a part of setting up your phone as is plugging in a SIM.
  - blitzar 4y ago
    > that default is WhatsApp and installing it is as much a part of setting up your phone as is plugging in a SIM You missed out the bit where you sign your soul over to Mark Zuckerberg.
    - firstbabylonian 4y ago
      Regular people don’t realise or care, they just want to be where their friends are.
      - hjkl0 4y ago
        Regular people don’t think giving up some privacy is the same as selling your soul…
  - paraselene_ 4y ago
    For billions of people that default is WeChat/WeiXin and installing it is as much a part of setting up their phone as is plugging in a SIM. I can safely know that any phone made today will have SMS/MMS capability, and nothing about WhatsApp/WeChat/Messenger/Telegram/...etc

GekkePrutser 4y ago

The problem with moving groups over to iMessage is that you'll always leave some Android users out. Here in Spain Apple has a minority marketshare so that makes iMessage a total non-starter. But even in the US not everyone has an iPhone. And really iMessage is not so much better than the cross-platform alternatives that it's worth leaving some friends out.

acomjean 4y ago
iMessage is kinda both its own messenger and SMS client. So when you text a number, I don't think you have a choice of how to send it. If the user is "Apple" it sends as an imessage, if not message, it turns the bubble green (so you know its SMS). Though in the epic trial Apple sees messaging as a "lock in feature" " In another exchange, Apple executives discussed in 2013 whether releasing a version of iMessage for Android would make it easier to switch phone brands. iMessage is still exclusive to Apple products. “I am concerned that the iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove and obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones,” Craig Federighi, Apple software senior vice president, wrote in 2013." https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/epic-games-v-apple-trial-apple-says-it-doesnt-want-to-be-android.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/epic-games-v-apple-trial-app...
CharlesW 4y ago
> The problem with moving groups over to iMessage is that you'll always leave some Android users out. I'm on several text chains with a mix of iOS and Android users. It works fine.
- vinay427 4y ago
  Those aren’t iMessage group chats if they’re using SMS/MMS.
  - GeekyBear 4y ago
    They are SMS/MMS sent from iMessage. It automatically falls back on SMS/MMS when you message someone who is not signed into iMessage.
    - sneak 4y ago
      You are conflating iMessage the service with "Messages" the app. An iMessage is definitionally not an SMS/MMS.
- superchink 4y ago
  I think maybe your idea of “fine” differs from mine. It is a much worse experience than iMessage. 1. No threading is supported. If you reply, it duplicates the message being replied to. 2. “Tapbacks” (reactions) duplicate the message being reacted to with “so-and-so likes message … message” 3. Photos are reduced to a size that fits in MMS (very low quality) 4. Videos look like postage stamps 5. The chat cannot be renamed or have a photo added 6. Members cannot be added or removed without starting a new group (conversation) 7. No message effects There may be others, but this is off the top of my head.
  - CharlesW 4y ago
    We can disagree and still be friends. > 1. No threading is supported. If you reply, it duplicates the message being replied to. Threading (using "Reply") is not supported in mixed iMessage/SMS/MMS text chains. (I'm using iOS 16, so this may have been (unwisely) supported in earlier Message versions.) > 2. “Tapbacks” (reactions) duplicate the message being reacted to with “so-and-so likes message … message” You can now see iPhone tapbacks on Android phones in Google Messages. I'm not sure if it's on defaultly yet. https://www.macworld.com/article/610908/google-messages-android-green-bubbles-tapbacks-reaction-emoji.html https://www.macworld.com/article/610908/google-messages-andr... The other things you list are limitations and side-effects of the standards used. They're valid, but I consider the experience "fine" without them. If the groups I text with cared about these we would probably use WhatsApp since everyone has that. Signal would be my preference, but it's hard to change people's habits.

kelnos 4y ago

> Perhaps you're missing the point though? Maybe your friends simply don't care enough to switch. Right, I mean, that's exactly the point. I can't force someone else to install a messaging app I'd prefer to use. But if we had an actually-good, cross-platform messaging standard that was implemented in the default, stock messaging app of both Android and iOS, I would not have to depend on my friends caring or not. I could just use it, and know that they will receive the messages.

gumby 4y ago
> But if we had an actually-good, cross-platform messaging standard that was implemented in the default, stock messaging app… For billions of people that default is WhatsApp and installing it is as much a part of setting up your phone as is plugging in a SIM.
- blitzar 4y ago
  > that default is WhatsApp and installing it is as much a part of setting up your phone as is plugging in a SIM You missed out the bit where you sign your soul over to Mark Zuckerberg.
  - firstbabylonian 4y ago
    Regular people don’t realise or care, they just want to be where their friends are.
    - hjkl0 4y ago
      Regular people don’t think giving up some privacy is the same as selling your soul…
- paraselene_ 4y ago
  For billions of people that default is WeChat/WeiXin and installing it is as much a part of setting up their phone as is plugging in a SIM. I can safely know that any phone made today will have SMS/MMS capability, and nothing about WhatsApp/WeChat/Messenger/Telegram/...etc