The change – first reported by tech site 9to5Mac – will add features, such as read receipt, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms.
Apple told CNN in a statement it will add support for the standard, called RCS (Rich Communication Services), later next year.
Meanwhile, Google, which already has support for RCS within its messaging app, has been vocal about wanting Apple to adopt the standard.
The move, however, doesn’t necessarily mean the green bubbles (Android or other users) and blue bubbles (Apple users) that are displayed when messaging someone on the other platform will go away anytime soon.
“Instead, RCS support will enable a smoother and better customer experience of iPhone users communicating across platforms.
Persons:
iMessage, Apple, Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Cook, ”, Dipanjan Chatterjee, Michael Inouye, ” Inouye, Chatterjee, ” Chatterjee, that’s
Organizations:
CNN, Apple, Communication Services, Universal, Google, Commission, European Union, “, Forrester Research, ABI Research, GSM Association
Locations:
Europe