Google goes to muddle your iPhone textual content messages with spam once more

Last yr, Google stunned us all with a brand new function that improved the iMessage expertise on iPhones. Instead of ugly textual content strings that cluttered iPhone-Android conversations with “Mike laughed at” or “Karen cherished” messages, Google mapped its personal emoji to Apple’s tapbacks so a satisfying icon confirmed up as an alternative.

The function is so good, Apple took steps to ensure it really works for everybody in iOS 16. Now Google is taking it a step additional. Instead of limiting tapbacks to RCS/iMessage conversations, it can start permitting emoji reactions for SMS texts from iPhone customers as properly. In a thinly veiled dig at Apple, Google writes: “While RCS is the last word answer, we’re doing what we are able to to assist Android customers have a approach to persistently react to messages.”

This will little question make issues objectively worse for iPhone customers. Where tapbacks had been restricted to RCS earlier than, which performs properly with iMessage, Android customers will now be capable to reply to any textual content with a response emoji, even If they’re not utilizing RCS. And that can ship the iPhone a type of “Brad preferred” responses that repeats the whole message they’re reacting to.

It’s arduous to not see this as one thing of a shot by Google. The firm has been on a campaign in opposition to Apple’s refusal to undertake RCS on the iPhone and advised reporters it’s “as much as Apple” to resolve whether or not to include the turn into iMessage. We’re not hopeful that’ll occur till iOS 17 on the earliest (if in any respect), but when issues get dangerous sufficient perhaps Apple will give in.