Jonathan Kao
March 2, 2025
The way we communicate via text messaging is undergoing its biggest transformation in years. As we move through 2025, Apple’s iMessage and Rich Communication Services (RCS) are at the forefront of this shift, reshaping how users interact across mobile platforms. With Apple finally embracing RCS in iOS 18, the walls between iPhone and Android messaging are starting to break down—but significant differences remain.
This evolution marks a departure from the decades-old SMS/MMS system, which lacked modern features like read receipts, high-quality media sharing, and end-to-end encryption. Instead, RCS delivers a richer experience comparable to services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Signal—without requiring third-party apps.
RCS has been Google’s long-term answer to the fragmentation of Android messaging. Unlike iMessage, which is locked into Apple’s ecosystem, RCS works across different brands, carriers, and operating systems. Starting in 2025, RCS is now embedded in default messaging apps on both Android devices and iPhones (running iOS 18), significantly expanding its reach.
However, one major limitation remains—RCS does not universally support end-to-end encryption (E2EE). While Google has implemented E2EE for RCS chats between Android users, cross-platform messaging between iPhones and Androids still lacks this critical privacy feature. Apple has not yet confirmed whether it will extend its own iMessage encryption to RCS chats.
Despite adopting RCS, Apple is still keeping iMessage as its gold standard. While RCS narrows the feature gap between iPhone and Android messaging, key differences remain:
One of iMessage’s biggest advantages remains its deep integration within Apple’s ecosystem. Features like Tapbacks, Animoji, Memoji, and full Mac/iPad syncing give iPhone users a level of seamless connectivity that RCS still struggles to match.
However, RCS has the advantage of being platform-agnostic, meaning it works regardless of whether you’re using a Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, or now—an iPhone.
In another industry shake-up, Samsung announced that it will discontinue RCS support in its native Samsung Messages app starting in January 2025. Instead, Samsung users will be required to use Google Messages to retain RCS functionality. This move aligns with Google’s long-term strategy of making Google Messages the default messaging app for Android devices, ensuring a more unified experience.
With Samsung being the world’s largest Android phone manufacturer, this shift further consolidates Google’s position in the messaging space and could accelerate RCS adoption across carriers worldwide.
For years, texting between iPhones and Androids has been plagued by low-quality videos, broken group chats, and outdated SMS features. Now, with Apple implementing RCS, these long-standing issues are finally being addressed. Users switching between iPhones and Androids—or communicating with friends on different platforms—will see noticeable improvements in media quality and chat functionality.
However, encryption remains a concern. While iMessage remains fully encrypted within Apple’s ecosystem, RCS still lacks universal E2EE—meaning Android-to-iPhone conversations are still not as secure as iMessage or other private messaging apps like Signal.
With regulators in the EU pushing for greater interoperability under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple may eventually be forced to open iMessage to RCS or even third-party messaging apps. Google and Microsoft have both argued that iMessage creates a communication monopoly, locking users into Apple’s ecosystem.
In response, Apple maintains that iMessage is a core iOS feature, not a standalone service, and that it won’t compromise user privacy by making it cross-platform. Whether this stance will hold in the face of increasing legal pressure remains to be seen.
The RCS vs. iMessage debate is far from over, but 2025 is a turning point in mobile messaging. With Apple adopting RCS, Android users finally get a better texting experience when communicating with iPhones. However, Apple’s strategic limitations on encryption and features like Tapbacks ensure that iMessage remains the premium choice within its ecosystem.
For the average user, these updates mean that low-quality videos and broken group texts are becoming a thing of the past. But if security is a top concern, encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram may still be the best bet—especially for conversations between iOS and Android users.

Messaging technology has evolved significantly beyond traditional SMS, with RCS and iMessage becoming the dominant protocols used by billions of smartphone users worldwide. Both platforms offer enhanced features that transform basic text messaging into rich communication experiences.
Rich Communication Services (RCS) is the next-generation messaging protocol designed to replace traditional SMS and MMS. Supported by Google and adopted by many Android devices, RCS has now expanded to iPhones with iOS 18 in 2025.
Unlike SMS, RCS supports high-resolution photos, videos, read receipts, typing indicators, and group chats. Users can send messages over Wi-Fi or mobile data, making it more flexible than traditional text messaging.
RCS works across different platforms and carriers, though it requires carrier support. Many major carriers worldwide now support this protocol, creating a more unified messaging experience across device ecosystems.
Security is a key feature of RCS, with end-to-end encryption protecting message content. The platform also offers verified business profiles, helping users identify legitimate communication from companies.
iMessage is Apple’s proprietary messaging platform exclusive to Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Launched in 2011, it has become the preferred messaging method for Apple users worldwide.
Messages sent between Apple devices automatically use iMessage (appearing in blue bubbles), while texts to Android users default to SMS/MMS (green bubbles). iMessage offers rich features including high-quality media sharing, reactions, effects, and seamless group messaging.
A major advantage of iMessage is its deep integration with the Apple ecosystem. Users can start conversations on one device and continue on another. Apple’s focus on privacy means iMessage offers end-to-end encryption by default.
The service doesn’t require a cellular plan and works over Wi-Fi or mobile data. For Apple users, iMessage creates a premium, exclusive messaging experience that enhances device loyalty within the ecosystem.

Messaging protocols have transformed from simple text exchanges to rich multimedia experiences. The shift from SMS to advanced protocols like RCS and iMessage represents a significant leap in how people communicate digitally.
Rich Communication Services (RCS) emerged as a modern successor to SMS and MMS. Developed by the GSM Association, RCS aimed to bring messaging into the contemporary era with features that basic text messaging lacked.
The protocol was designed to work within standard messaging apps, eliminating the need for separate applications. Early adoption was limited, with fragmented support across carriers and manufacturers.
Google became a major advocate for RCS, pushing it as the universal standard for Android devices. The protocol offers read receipts, typing indicators, high-resolution media sharing, and group chat capabilities that SMS simply couldn’t provide.
By 2025, RCS usage has expanded significantly, with approximately 700 million messages sent daily. The protocol’s biggest breakthrough came when Apple announced RCS support in iOS 18, bridging a long-standing gap between Android and iPhone messaging.
Apple introduced iMessage in 2011 as part of iOS 5, creating a proprietary messaging system exclusive to Apple devices. The service quickly gained popularity for its seamless integration with SMS and enhanced features.
iMessage distinguished itself with end-to-end encryption, high-quality media sharing, and interactive elements like digital touch and message effects. The blue bubbles became iconic, instantly signaling when users were messaging within Apple’s ecosystem versus the green bubbles of SMS.
For years, Apple kept iMessage as an exclusive selling point for its devices, resisting calls to make it cross-platform. This strategy created a notorious “blue bubble vs. green bubble” divide in messaging, particularly among younger users.
The 2025 landscape has shifted dramatically with Apple’s implementation of RCS support alongside iMessage in iOS 18. While iMessage remains Apple-exclusive, iPhone users can now enjoy enhanced messaging with Android contacts through RCS, including better media sharing and typing indicators.
Both RCS and iMessage provide rich messaging experiences, but they differ in key features and how users interact with them. With Apple incorporating RCS in iOS 18, understanding these differences becomes especially relevant for users moving between platforms in 2025.
Both messaging platforms offer read receipts and typing indicators, providing users with confirmation when messages are delivered and read. These features help create a more responsive conversation experience.
In iMessage, read receipts show as “Read” underneath messages, while RCS displays them differently depending on the messaging app being used. Users can disable read receipts in both systems if they prefer privacy over confirmation.
Typing indicators appear as animated dots in iMessage, giving a visual cue when someone is composing a response. RCS implements similar functionality but with variations in how it’s displayed across different Android messaging apps.
A key difference is that iMessage’s features work seamlessly between Apple devices, while RCS implementations can vary slightly depending on carrier and device manufacturer.
Media sharing capabilities have significantly improved in both platforms. iMessage traditionally offered superior media quality, but RCS has caught up in 2025.
Media Sharing Comparison:
iMessage continues to excel with unique message effects like confetti, fireworks, and bubble effects that add personality to conversations. The platform also offers Memojis and stickers integrated directly into the messaging experience.
RCS has expanded its capabilities but still lacks some of the more playful animations found in iMessage. However, it provides consistent media sharing quality across different devices, which is particularly valuable for cross-platform conversations.
The introduction of RCS support in iOS 18 has significantly improved cross-platform group chats. Previously, mixed iPhone/Android group conversations defaulted to SMS, losing many advanced features.
Now, when iPhone users chat with Android users through RCS, they can enjoy:
However, some limitations remain. Apple-exclusive features like iMessage apps and some special effects don’t transfer to RCS conversations. Group chats still work best when all participants use the same messaging protocol.
Interoperability has improved but isn’t perfect. When iPhone users message Android contacts, the conversation automatically switches between iMessage (blue bubbles) and RCS (green bubbles, but with more features than old SMS).
End-to-end encryption works differently between the platforms, with iMessage providing it by default for all Apple-to-Apple conversations, while RCS encryption depends on the implementation.
Security and privacy features represent major differentiators between RCS and iMessage in 2025. Both platforms handle sensitive user data but employ varying levels of protection that impact user privacy and message security.
End-to-end encryption remains iMessage’s strongest security advantage. Apple’s messaging platform encrypts all communications by default, whether in one-on-one chats or group conversations. This means not even Apple can access the content of messages exchanged between users.
RCS implementation has improved but still lags behind. As of early 2025, Google’s RCS in Messages offers end-to-end encryption, but only for one-on-one conversations. Group chats in RCS remain vulnerable to potential interception. Apple’s implementation of RCS lacks end-to-end encryption entirely, leaving these messages less secure than native iMessage communications.
The security gap creates a two-tier system on iPhones – blue bubble iMessages with full encryption and green bubble RCS messages with limited protection. Users should remain aware of which platform they’re using when sending sensitive information.
Privacy policies between the platforms show significant differences. Apple has positioned privacy as a core selling point, with strict data collection limitations in iMessage. User metadata is minimized, and Apple’s business model doesn’t rely on analyzing message content for advertising.
RCS presents more complex privacy considerations. The standard was developed by carriers and the GSM Association rather than a single company, leading to inconsistent privacy implementations across providers. Google’s version offers stronger privacy controls than most carrier implementations.
Two-factor authentication support varies between platforms. iMessage links directly to Apple ID, which supports robust verification options including biometrics and physical security keys. RCS authentication depends on the specific implementation but typically relies on SMS verification – ironically using the less secure standard it aims to replace.
Users concerned about privacy should check their messaging app settings to understand what data is being collected and how it’s protected.
The landscape of messaging apps is significantly shaped by device ecosystems and regional preferences, with iMessage and RCS showing distinct patterns in their global adoption.
Rich Communication Services (RCS) has gained substantial momentum in recent years, particularly within the Android ecosystem. Google has championed RCS as the successor to traditional SMS/MMS messaging, implementing it across Android devices worldwide.
The global RCS market is projected to reach $11.7 billion by 2025, according to Juniper Research. This growth is driven by enhanced functionalities and increasing adoption by mobile carriers and manufacturers.
Android’s dominant global market share of over 70% provides RCS with a massive potential user base. However, actual adoption varies significantly by region and carrier support.
With Apple’s announcement of RCS support in iOS 18, the protocol has gained newfound legitimacy and interoperability potential. This move bridges a critical gap between Android and iOS devices, potentially accelerating RCS adoption worldwide.
iMessage remains a cornerstone of Apple’s ecosystem, with approximately 1.3 billion users as of 2022, representing roughly 16% of the world’s population. About 1 billion active users engage with the service monthly.
The average iMessage user spends approximately 1 hour and 36 minutes on the platform daily, demonstrating high engagement rates within Apple’s ecosystem.
In markets like the United States, where Apple holds approximately 60% market share, iMessage dominates the messaging landscape. The platform’s exclusivity to Apple devices has created distinct communication environments between iOS and Android users.
Despite Apple’s recent adoption of RCS, the company maintains the distinctive blue (iMessage) and green (SMS/RCS) bubble color scheme in its Messages app. This visual differentiation continues to reinforce platform identity within the Apple ecosystem.
Both RCS and iMessage have evolved beyond basic text messaging to offer rich media sharing, interactive elements, and personalized communication options. These features transform ordinary conversations into more expressive and efficient exchanges.
RCS messaging has made significant strides in 2025, bringing many iMessage-like capabilities to Android users and cross-platform communication. Users can now share high-resolution photos and videos without the quality compression that plagued traditional SMS/MMS.
Read receipts and typing indicators have become standard in RCS, letting users know when their messages have been seen and when someone is responding. This creates a more dynamic conversation flow similar to what iMessage users have enjoyed for years.
Group chats in RCS now support advanced features including:
Business messaging has expanded through RCS, enabling companies to send interactive messages with buttons, carousels, and quick reply options. Customers can make reservations, schedule appointments, or check order status directly within their messaging app.
iMessage continues to lead in personalization options with an expanded library of effects that bring messages to life. Users can send texts with animations like confetti, balloons, or laser effects that fill the recipient’s screen.
Apple has introduced new Tapback reactions in 2025, moving beyond the original six options to include a wider range of emotional responses. These quick reactions make conversations more efficient when a full reply isn’t needed.
Custom backgrounds for individual chat threads allow users to set different themes for different conversations. This visual customization helps distinguish between personal, professional, and group conversations at a glance.
RCS has begun implementing similar customization features. Android users can now apply simple animations and effects to their messages, though the selection remains more limited than iMessage’s extensive library.
Message scheduling has become available on both platforms, letting users compose texts to be sent at specific times. This feature proves especially useful for birthday wishes, meeting reminders, and communications across different time zones.
Compatibility between messaging platforms directly shapes user preferences and communication patterns. As Apple now supports RCS alongside iMessage in 2025, the traditional divide between blue bubbles and green bubbles is evolving, creating new dynamics in cross-platform messaging.
Apple’s implementation of RCS in iOS 18 marks a significant shift in cross-platform messaging. Previously, communication between iPhone and Android users defaulted to SMS/MMS, resulting in the infamous green bubbles that lacked features like high-resolution media sharing and read receipts.
With RCS support now available on iPhones, users can enjoy enhanced messaging features across different devices. This includes:
The change affects approximately 60% of US mobile users who own iPhones and previously faced limitations when messaging Android contacts. Non-Apple device users now experience a more seamless connection with iPhone users, though some distinctions remain.
Despite improved interoperability, several challenges persist in the cross-platform messaging ecosystem. The most notable issue involves encryption – Apple’s current RCS implementation lacks end-to-end encryption when communicating with Android devices, creating security vulnerabilities compared to iMessage’s protected environment.
Feature parity also remains incomplete. iPhone users still see RCS messages in green bubbles rather than the blue ones used for iMessage, maintaining a visual distinction between platforms. This subtle UI difference preserves the perceived status difference between messaging systems.
Business adoption presents another hurdle. Companies must now consider how their communication strategies work across both messaging protocols. The growing RCS user base (approximately 700 million messages sent daily) makes it increasingly important for businesses to support this standard alongside iMessage.
Behind the evolving messaging landscape of RCS and iMessage stands a complex network of carriers, industry groups, and technology standards. These entities shape how messaging services develop and integrate across platforms.
The GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) has played a crucial role in standardizing RCS through the Universal Profile specification. This profile establishes common features and technical requirements that ensure RCS works consistently across different devices and networks.
Launched in 2016, the Universal Profile has gone through several iterations, each expanding capabilities such as group chats, file transfers, and read receipts. This standardization has been essential for RCS adoption, giving manufacturers and carriers a clear blueprint to follow.
The profile also addresses interoperability concerns, something particularly important as Apple begins supporting RCS in iOS 18. Without these standards, the fragmentation that plagued early RCS implementations would likely have continued.
Major carriers initially drove RCS adoption, with T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T forming the Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI) to accelerate deployment. However, this alliance dissolved in 2021 when carriers decided to pursue individual implementation strategies.
According to recent search results, carriers have reassessed their RCS investments due to strong competition from established messaging platforms. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage’s large user bases offer features that sometimes exceed RCS capabilities.
The carrier landscape changed significantly when Apple announced RCS support for iOS 18. This development creates a more unified messaging ecosystem between Android and iOS users, addressing a long-standing communication gap.
Verizon and T-Mobile have continued supporting RCS separately, recognizing its potential as messaging revenue reaches projected figures of $11.7 billion globally by 2025, according to Juniper Research.
Modern messaging protocols like RCS and iMessage are revolutionizing how businesses connect with customers. These platforms offer rich features that enhance engagement, streamline customer service, and create personalized marketing opportunities.
RCS Business Messaging gives companies powerful tools to engage customers through Android’s default messaging app. Businesses can send rich media, interactive cards, and suggested replies – creating more dynamic conversations than traditional SMS.
Key benefits include:
RCS enables businesses to create automated workflows for appointment reminders, shipping updates, and customer feedback. Customers can respond directly within the message thread without downloading separate apps. As of 2025, RCS Business Messaging has expanded its global reach, with most Android devices now supporting the protocol.
Apple Messages for Business lets companies connect with iPhone users through the native iMessage platform. This creates seamless conversations with Apple’s massive user base while maintaining the familiar blue-bubble experience.
Business features include:
The service provides businesses with a dedicated dashboard to manage customer interactions and deploy automated responses. Recent updates in 2025 have expanded verification options and improved analytics tools for marketing teams.
Many brands now use Apple Messages for Business for premium customer service, with response times averaging significantly faster than traditional email support.
The messaging landscape is evolving rapidly with both RCS and iMessage implementing new technologies that will reshape how users communicate. Security enhancements, multimedia capabilities, and cross-platform functionality are becoming central to these platforms’ development strategies.
RCS is expanding its capabilities beyond basic messaging. Google continues to enhance RCS with end-to-end encryption for group chats, a feature previously only available in one-to-one conversations. This security upgrade puts RCS on par with other secure messaging platforms.
The protocol will soon support larger file transfers, allowing users to share high-resolution videos and images without compression. This addresses a major pain point in cross-platform messaging between Android and iOS devices.
Integration with business messaging is another frontier for RCS. Companies can leverage rich features like appointment scheduling, payment processing, and interactive buttons directly within messages. This creates more engaging customer experiences compared to traditional SMS.
Google Messages is also testing AI-powered features like smart replies and message categorization. These tools help users manage conversations more efficiently by prioritizing important messages and suggesting contextual responses.
Apple’s introduction of RCS support in iOS 18 marks a significant shift in strategy, but the company continues to develop iMessage as a premium service. Apple is likely to maintain the blue bubble distinction to preserve the unique iMessage identity while supporting RCS for cross-platform communication.
The iPhone 17 series may introduce enhanced iMessage features that leverage the devices’ hardware capabilities. Rumors suggest improved augmented reality messaging experiences and tighter integration with Apple’s AI system.
Privacy will remain central to iMessage’s development. Apple continues to strengthen its end-to-end encryption and has announced plans to introduce more granular controls over message data.
iMessage may expand its ecosystem integration, allowing more seamless communication between Apple devices and services. This could include better handoff between devices and improved synchronization with other Apple apps.
Apple may also explore business messaging capabilities to compete with RCS, potentially offering Apple Pay integration and secure business verification directly within iMessage conversations.
The messaging landscape between iOS and Android continues to evolve with significant changes to RCS and iMessage in 2025. Users have important questions about cross-platform compatibility, feature sets, and carrier support.
RCS adoption has dramatically improved cross-platform messaging between iPhone and Android devices. The communication gap has narrowed significantly, allowing for a more seamless experience.
Users can now exchange high-resolution photos and videos between different devices without the compression issues that plagued SMS. Typing indicators and read receipts work across platforms, creating a more natural conversation flow.
Group chats between iPhone and Android users have become more functional with better organization features and improved media sharing. The “green bubble vs. blue bubble” divide, while still visible, carries less functional significance in 2025.
Apple has expanded RCS support on iPhones with the latest iOS updates in early 2025. The integration now includes enhanced media sharing capabilities and improved group chat functionalities across platforms.
Apple has maintained its distinct blue bubbles for iMessage while using a different indicator for RCS messages. This visual differentiation preserves the Apple ecosystem identity while supporting the universal standard.
The company has also introduced end-to-end encryption for RCS messages sent between iPhones, though this security feature doesn’t yet extend to cross-platform communications. Apple continues to position iMessage as its premium messaging solution while acknowledging RCS as the industry standard for cross-platform messaging.
RCS has closed many feature gaps with iMessage in 2025, offering high-resolution media sharing, typing indicators, and read receipts across different devices and platforms. Both services now support quality video and image sharing without significant compression.
iMessage still maintains exclusive features within the Apple ecosystem, including seamless integration with other Apple services, Memoji, and certain interactive message effects. Apple users messaging other Apple users still enjoy a more feature-rich experience.
Security remains a differentiation point, with iMessage offering consistent end-to-end encryption for all Apple-to-Apple communications, while RCS encryption varies by implementation. The cross-platform RCS standard continues to improve but hasn’t yet matched the unified security approach of iMessage.
Verizon has fully embraced RCS messaging in 2025, ensuring all compatible devices on their network can access advanced messaging features. This widespread support has significantly improved the messaging experience for Verizon customers.
The carrier has implemented the latest RCS protocol versions, enabling features like better group chats and enhanced media sharing across their entire user base. Verizon’s support has been crucial in pushing industry-wide adoption of RCS standards.
Customers switching between carriers no longer face compatibility issues with their messaging services, as Verizon has aligned with other major carriers on RCS implementation. This standardization benefits consumers by providing a consistent experience regardless of their service provider.
The new RCS settings on iPhones have eliminated many frustrations when texting Android users. Media now transfers at higher resolutions, and larger files can be shared without the previous size limitations of SMS/MMS.
Conversation features like typing indicators and read receipts now work across platforms, making cross-device chats feel more natural and responsive. Group conversations with mixed iPhone and Android participants function more smoothly with better organization tools.
Location sharing and reaction capabilities now work between iPhone and Android devices, features previously limited to same-platform conversations. The overall experience feels more cohesive and less fragmented than in previous years.
Samsung has shifted toward promoting the universal RCS standard rather than pushing its proprietary messaging features. This change aligns with the industry’s move toward standardization and improves compatibility with all Android devices and iPhones.
The company recognized that fragmenting the messaging landscape with Samsung-specific features undermined the benefits of a universal standard. By embracing the standard implementation, Samsung has helped create a more unified messaging ecosystem across all devices.
Market pressure played a significant role, as users increasingly demanded seamless communication regardless of device manufacturer. Samsung’s current approach prioritizes interoperability and user experience over branded differentiation in the messaging space.
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