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Nobody cares because everyone in the US weirdly uses iMessage while the rest of the world uses either WhatsApp, WeChat or Line. Honestly, at this point, would

Nobody cares because everyone in the US weirdly uses iMessage while the rest of the world uses either WhatsApp, WeChat or Line. Honestly, at this point, would probably be easier for Google to just push WhatsApp in the US despite it being a Meta app if they really want to break iMessage stronghold.

rodgerd 2y ago
Google don't want to "break the iMessage stronghold". They want to crack open Apple customers' messaging so they can feed it into their advertising systems. WhatsApp is useless to Google for that.
- spankalee 2y ago
  Maybe Google wants their users to have a decent, interoperable phone-base messaging solution? They don't make any money or sell any ads via text messages with Android users, why would they suddenly with iPhone users?
- RandomThoughts3 2y ago
  Clearly Apple uses iMessage to create a significant lock in effect in the USA. So, yes, as their main competitor, Google should want to attack the market share of iMessage. It’s probably the biggest thing standing in the way of Android. Pushing a competitor with great interoperability between Android and iOS would make sense. I mean they clearly believe that they can do that by themselves in the US market but WhatsApp has the advantage of being able to lean of expatriates and people with contacts abroad as a steppingstone.
  - rodgerd 2y ago
    If you really think that the only reason people use iPhones is iMessage then you are completely detached from reality.
    - meowster 2y ago
      I didn't see OP write that at all. You should also re-read the HN guidelines.
martin8412 2y ago
That wouldn't send a ton to data into the hands of Google.
acdha 2y ago
Google sells RCS services, and they botched their way out of the social market. For a company which depends on ad targeting that’s pretty huge and Meta is hardly going to help their biggest competitor in advertising but the phone companies are far more negotiable.

rodgerd 2y ago

Google don't want to "break the iMessage stronghold". They want to crack open Apple customers' messaging so they can feed it into their advertising systems. WhatsApp is useless to Google for that.

spankalee 2y ago
Maybe Google wants their users to have a decent, interoperable phone-base messaging solution? They don't make any money or sell any ads via text messages with Android users, why would they suddenly with iPhone users?
RandomThoughts3 2y ago
Clearly Apple uses iMessage to create a significant lock in effect in the USA. So, yes, as their main competitor, Google should want to attack the market share of iMessage. It’s probably the biggest thing standing in the way of Android. Pushing a competitor with great interoperability between Android and iOS would make sense. I mean they clearly believe that they can do that by themselves in the US market but WhatsApp has the advantage of being able to lean of expatriates and people with contacts abroad as a steppingstone.
- rodgerd 2y ago
  If you really think that the only reason people use iPhones is iMessage then you are completely detached from reality.
  - meowster 2y ago
    I didn't see OP write that at all. You should also re-read the HN guidelines.

martin8412 2y ago

That wouldn't send a ton to data into the hands of Google.

acdha 2y ago

Google sells RCS services, and they botched their way out of the social market. For a company which depends on ad targeting that’s pretty huge and Meta is hardly going to help their biggest competitor in advertising but the phone companies are far more negotiable.