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This is fundamentally the wrong analysis. The idea that people care about being "cool" to get blue bubbles or whatever is not what this is about. This is about

This is fundamentally the wrong analysis. The idea that people care about being "cool" to get blue bubbles or whatever is not what this is about. This is about the fact that messaging between an iOS device and Android just sucks at present if the iOS user is on iMessage. I won't hash over all the details, but Google's site trying to convince iMessage to support RCS (which Apple has said they will do in 2024) gives a good overview of the problems: https://www.android.com/get-the-message/ https://www.android.com/get-the-message/ I'm not a teenager, but I certainly care. I'm the only Android user in my family, and I'm sick of getting pixelated videos from my parents. I'm sick of the "Bob liked an image" messages. I'm sick of random messages not showing up in group chats. And while it's not a huge everyday concern, it sucks that there is no secure encryption when I message my family, and worse, all of the group chats that I'm part of result in nobody, even all the other iOS users, getting encryption in those chats.

redserk 3y ago
It's not like Google is unbiased here, especially with their ownership of Jibe. Most RCS messages in the US are/will be going through Google...
- hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
  I don't doubt at all that Google is biased, but I don't care. Their bias in this instance, which is that users on different platforms should be able to have a good messaging experience between each other, is the correct one IMO. All I want is to be able to have a good messaging experience with my friends and family without trying the useless push of "Let's all use WhatsApp" or whatever (it's a losing battle when there are 10 other iMessage users and you're the only Android one), or worse, have people complain about your presence in a group chat because now all the videos look awful.
iwanttocomment 3y ago
So, Google resolved the interop issue with "liked an image" and similar reactions back in 2020. I can't remember that being an issue for years with reasonably modern Android phones. Yeah, I've had some isues in the past with pixelated videos but again, almost zero in the past few years. But there are ten billion better places to post videos than via group chats, especially to conserve memory on people's devices, and pretty much everyone knows it at this point. Literally everyone I know has been posting videos via Youtube or Facebook or Instagram or Whatsapp or Discord or Slack or Google Drive or Dropbox for years at this point. But yes, Apple should absolutely support RCS for encrypted messaging in group chats with other devices. 100% with you on that one.
- hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
  These types of responses are so aggravating. Congrats, it's not an issue for you. But it is for tons of other people, and your response is the equivalent of "well, works on my machine." Just sick of this borderline gaslighting where people are basically unable to imagine this is a significant issue just because it doesn't affect them personally. > So, Google resolved the interop issue with "liked an image" and similar reactions back in 2020. Except they didn't. I'm looking at a group chat from 2 days ago on a Pixel 7 that has a "Loved an image" response on it. About 90% of the emoji responses are "correctly reinterpreted", but I still often get the text printed out like that for whatever reason. > Literally everyone I know has been posting videos... Congrats, again, so this issue doesn't affect you. But literally whenever I go on a vacation with a group everyone posts pictures and videos in the chat. And they're barely viewable if I'm in the chat.

redserk 3y ago

It's not like Google is unbiased here, especially with their ownership of Jibe. Most RCS messages in the US are/will be going through Google...

hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
I don't doubt at all that Google is biased, but I don't care. Their bias in this instance, which is that users on different platforms should be able to have a good messaging experience between each other, is the correct one IMO. All I want is to be able to have a good messaging experience with my friends and family without trying the useless push of "Let's all use WhatsApp" or whatever (it's a losing battle when there are 10 other iMessage users and you're the only Android one), or worse, have people complain about your presence in a group chat because now all the videos look awful.

iwanttocomment 3y ago

So, Google resolved the interop issue with "liked an image" and similar reactions back in 2020. I can't remember that being an issue for years with reasonably modern Android phones. Yeah, I've had some isues in the past with pixelated videos but again, almost zero in the past few years. But there are ten billion better places to post videos than via group chats, especially to conserve memory on people's devices, and pretty much everyone knows it at this point. Literally everyone I know has been posting videos via Youtube or Facebook or Instagram or Whatsapp or Discord or Slack or Google Drive or Dropbox for years at this point. But yes, Apple should absolutely support RCS for encrypted messaging in group chats with other devices. 100% with you on that one.

hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
These types of responses are so aggravating. Congrats, it's not an issue for you. But it is for tons of other people, and your response is the equivalent of "well, works on my machine." Just sick of this borderline gaslighting where people are basically unable to imagine this is a significant issue just because it doesn't affect them personally. > So, Google resolved the interop issue with "liked an image" and similar reactions back in 2020. Except they didn't. I'm looking at a group chat from 2 days ago on a Pixel 7 that has a "Loved an image" response on it. About 90% of the emoji responses are "correctly reinterpreted", but I still often get the text printed out like that for whatever reason. > Literally everyone I know has been posting videos... Congrats, again, so this issue doesn't affect you. But literally whenever I go on a vacation with a group everyone posts pictures and videos in the chat. And they're barely viewable if I'm in the chat.