Last year, Google surprised usAll this was possible thanks to a new feature called iMessage. Instead of ugly text strings that cluttered iPhone-Android conversations with “Mike laughed at” or “Karen loved” messages, Google mapped its own emoji to Apple’s tapbacks so a pleasing icon showed up instead.
Apple has taken steps to ensure that this feature works in iOS 16. Google has taken it one step further. Instead of restricting tapbacks for RCS/iMessage conversation, it will allow tapbacks. Allowing emoji reactions to SMS textsAlso, iPhone users can send their feedback. In a thinly veiled dig at Apple, Google writes: “While RCS is the ultimate solution, we’re doing what we can to help Android users have a way to consistently react to messages.”
It will make life for iPhone users even more difficult. Where tapbacks were limited to RCS before, which plays nicely with iMessage, Android users will now be able to respond to any text with a reaction emoji, even If they’re not using RCS. And that will send the iPhone one of those “Brad liked” responses that repeats the entire message they’re reacting to.
It’s hard not to see this as something of a shot by Google. The company has been on a crusade against Apple’s refusal to adopt RCS on the iPhone and According to reporters it’s “up to Apple” to decide whether to incorporate the change into iMessage. We’re not hopeful that’ll happen until iOS 17 at the earliest (if at all), but if things get bad enough maybe Apple will give in.
