If you've ever considered switching from iOS to Android, I bet I can guess exactly what stopped you—it starts with "G" and ends in "reen bubble."
iOS has long stigmatized Android users by choosing not to support standard features in text messaging. Up until recently, that included read receipts, typing indicators, group messages, high-res pics, and even delivered receipts. Ya' know... normal messaging stuff.
Since then, all of those missing features have been amended to support RCS messaging. This means that if you have an Android phone that uses RCS, you can have a semi-normal texting experience with someone who has an iPhone.
And now, another major domino is falling in favor of Android. iOS will soon support end-to-end encrypted messaging, which has long been a key feature of iOS-to-iOS communication. That's a big win for keeping both iOS and Android users safe.
It also begs the question: with all of those features finally adopted, will the green bubble stigma finally get tossed out with them? I, for one, wouldn't count on it.
The code is cracked
According to a recent announcement from the GSMA, a trade group representing mobile networking companies, a new protocol called Message Layer Security has finally cracked the code for interoperable encryption between Android and iOS.
"These procedures ensure that messages and other content such as files remain confidential and secure as they travel between clients. That means that RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers," the GSMA said in a statement.
Needless to say, this is a major win for ensuring privacy between platforms and for any company selling Android phones.
The lack of full-featured messaging between platforms has long been a sticking point for anyone already part of the iOS ecosystem. With that mostly mitigated, users can travel more freely between platforms.
As a longtime iPhone user who's reviewed a few Android phones in recent years, I can say for certain that there is much less disparity between the two platforms than there used to be. The only thing holding me back personally is Apple's Messages app.
Both operating systems have mostly the same feature set, employ a similar UI, and run smoothly (most of the time) on the devices they power. So, with all of that evened out, Android phones should be more appealing to longtime iOS users than ever.
Save for one obvious drawback.
It's too easy being green
One notable difference between iOS and non-iOS messages on iPhone that you may have noted is... they're still green.
So, even with all of the progress over the past few years, the Android stigma is still alive and well. And while I couldn't blame anyone for getting hopeful that green bubble stigma might change, too, I personally won't be getting my hopes up. My pessimism comes from a couple of places.
For one, there's still a huge incentive on Apple's part to continue to differentiate Android and iOS messages. What I mean is, the longer Apple visually convinces people that they're receiving a text that's different (read: lesser) in some way, the longer they can justify sticking with iOS.
But it's not just Apple's own incentive that has me down on the prospect of blue-bubbling Android texts, though. Part of the impetus for the big feature shift over the last year was pressure from regulators in the European Union.
Thanks to a push from the EU, we've seen some significant holes blasted in Apple's walled garden, including discontinuing the Lightning port in favor of the more egalitarian USB-C.
Like the push for RCS, the push for green bubbles has centered on the claim that Apple's behavior (its lack of USB-C adoption) is anti-competitive. While you could claim that using green bubbles is equally anti-competitive, the argument feels flimsier.
Lightning ports and USB-C are specific technologies with advantages and disadvantages. But green versus blue? That feels a little bit more subjective. I'm not saying the case couldn't be made, but it feels much less sturdy than the more significant battles over the App Store or charging ports.
I guess if you were to give the idea of ending green bubbles any credence, there is a significant amount of support from the likes of Google or Samsung, but that might have little sway on regulators who have proven to be the only real factor in forcing Apple to change its platform.
Pessimistic though I may be over the end of the green bubble, I'd be the first person to celebrate the shift. Android phones are better and more affordable than ever, so I could easily see myself jumping ship.
Until then, however, I'll stick to what I know and keep my bubble blue for everyone's sake.
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