Apple surprised everyone a few months ago when it announced that its Messages app would support RCS in addition to iMessage and SMS. That’s because Google was relentlessly attacking the Blue Bubble, the EU was considering forcing Apple to open up iMessage, and apps like Beeper Mini were finding new ways to bring iMessage to her Android. It happened at the right time.
Earlier this week, we learned why Apple decided to bring RCS support to the iPhone. It wasn’t Google pressure or the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA) law that threatened iMessage. It was China’s new regulations for 5G mobile phones that forced Apple to announce plans to support GSMA’s RCS standard in the future.
This made us realize what we have all been ignoring. Apple effectively won his PR war for iMessage without actually giving up anything in the process. If you can’t chat properly via iMessage, it might be time to buy your mom or dad an iPhone for his girlfriend.
please think about it. In all the commercials that Google aired before Apple announced his RCS support, Apple was the bad guy. Google continued to fuel the blue and green bubble war, but this is really only a US problem. Along the way, Google has also found allies such as Samsung and European carriers. The latter joined Google in asking the EU to designate iMessage as a gatekeeper.
Such a designation would have meant that Apple would have to open up iMessage to competing services. iMessage needed to work with RCS and other chat apps that required interoperability support. That’s easier said than done, but it’s not what I want in a chat app. Even Meta struggles with interoperability between WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

When Apple announced RCS support for the iPhone, Google had to stop all these attacks. I had to swallow that announcement as a victory, even though it actually wasn’t. Apple has only announced support for the RCS standard developed by the GSMA. Not Google’s RCS, which also supports encryption.
There are two fronts left in the iMessage battle, and we’ll discuss them chronologically.
First, there was the story of the short-lived Beeper Mini. Beeper discovered a clever way to bring iMessage support to Android, eliminating the need for his RCS support in the iPhone’s Messages app. However, Apple struggled with its security issues and eventually blocked his iMessage support on Android.
Beeper exited while still portraying Apple as the bad guy and making iMessage seem like a communications standard that everyone has a right to use. The same goes for Android users who don’t pay for iMessage. An Android user who pays Beeper for access to iMessage. Of course, Beeper had stolen access to his iMessages.
Be aware that Beeper’s actions could lead to iMessage being investigated by US regulators. But they would be missing the point here. iMessage is a proprietary app developed by Apple that is fully featured and available for free to anyone who buys an iPhone. You can also use iMessage if you buy a Mac or iPad, but it doesn’t work on an iPhone.

Speaking of regulators, that’s another aspect. Her DMA of the European Union is completely useless. After an investigation, the EU determined that iMessage is not large enough to be designated as a gatekeeper in Europe. Even if that happens, Apple will likely only make iMessage interoperable within her EU. Just like with sideloading an iPhone.
That’s how Apple won the PR war. Just because Apple did the right thing doesn’t mean Google can’t run another ad campaign begging Apple to do the right thing. RCS is coming to iPhone. Companies like Beeper can’t be expected to bring iMessage to Android because Apple won’t allow it. Regulators in the EU and elsewhere will need to wait for iMessage numbers to grow in the region before forcing Apple to open up to competing chat apps.
Android users who keep complaining that they can’t chat with iPhone owners because of iMessage have a choice.
The simplest is to do what most Europeans do, including me. Use Whatsapp and other secure chat apps that can bridge the gap between iPhone and Android. If that’s not enough, wait for iOS 18. iOS 18 will likely introduce RCS support to iPhones. Still struggling? Get an iPhone.