Google calls out Apple on messaging standards

Android has launched a new campaign that calls out the ongoing interoperability challenges when Android and iOS users try to message one another.

The campaign, called 'Get The Message', highlights the range of issues users face, from the “green/blue bubbles” problem to low-quality photos and videos, broken group chats and difficulty texting over WiFi.

Get The Message features a new website, as well as ads that will run across YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok. Android has also enlisted a number of celebrities to promote the campaign on their own social channels. Following the digital launch, Android will run more than 500 digital and static billboards across Manhattan and Brooklyn.

While the challenges are numerous, the fix, according to the campaign, is fairly simple: Apple can adopt Rich Communication Services, or RCS.

“Conversations between people using iOS and Android platforms today are unnecessarily challenging and they emotionally pull us apart,” said Adrienne Lofton, global VP of integrated marketing, platforms and ecosystems at Google in a release. “From Google's perspective, any platform that isn't built to bring people together simply doesn't represent the level of seamless communication and modern technology people deserve and expect.”

Unlike other operating systems, Apple continues to rely on SMS/MMS, which is the source of these interoperability issues. RCS is the modern industry standard that is reportedly supported by most carriers and more than 500 Android device manufacturers.

“This campaign is intended to deliver a clear call to Apple to finally join us in adopting the latest messaging standards that provides the best possible messaging experience for everyone, both on iOS and Android,” Lofton added.