Google briefly showed a section about the new google messages page stating that Apple is ready to roll out Rich Communication Services (RCS) support for iPhones this fall. This indicates that the iPhone maker is likely to expand RCS support with the upcoming iOS 18 update.
The page, first discovered by 9to5Google, had details about the benefits of RCS. One of the sections inside had a “coming soon to iOS” label with a title called “Better Messaging for Everyone.”
The card is not visible on the page now, but the text indicates that it is still in the page’s source code.
“Apple has announced that it will adopt RCS in the fall of 2024. Once that happens, it will mean a better messaging experience for everyone,” the description read.
Image credits: Google
Last November, Apple confirmed that it was working on adding support for RCS. At the time, the company didn’t specify a timeline, but said support will arrive “next year.”
For a long time, Google has urged, pushed and scolded Apple on adding RCS to reduce the differentiation between “green bubble and blue bubble.” While RCS won’t solve that, it will mean that Android users will be able to send high-resolution media to iPhone users.
Last year, Google announced new features for RCS, such as a profile, Photomoji, and improved audio quality for voice memos, as the company said. One billion people used RCS monthly.
Google’s partial disclosure of the RCS compatibility schedule for iPhone comes as the US Department of Justice starting a legal battle against Apple about the monopolistic practices of the Cupertino-based company. In particular, the demand counts “green bubbles” as a problem that affects user safety.