793 points by dm 834 days ago | 709 comments on HN
| Mild positive Editorial · v3.7· 2026-02-28 12:29:50
Summary Digital Access & Interoperability Acknowledges
9to5Mac reports Apple's announcement to adopt RCS messaging standard for cross-platform communication, addressing interoperability rights and communication access while noting privacy trade-offs relative to iMessage encryption. The article contextualizes the decision within regulatory pressure from the EU Digital Markets Act and highlights technical development of open standards through international cooperation.
The next significant step would be opening up iMessage and I'm pretty sure that Apple already has implemented most of it. Otherwise, they cannot realistically follow the DMA timeline in the worst case where EU designate iMessage as a gatekeeper.
I'm curious if this means Apple will run their own RCS service for their customers or will rely on a telco provided one.
I tried to find info for example about RCS in Australia, and saw a piece about Telstra launching RCS in 2017... but now it's apparently turned off and customers are expected to use the Google RCS service?
I was working on RCS systems back in 2012. It was the future back them - incredible low latency for messaging and gaming, rich messaging, and a decent SDK.
How did carriers fuck it up so badly that, a decade later, it's barely a blip on the messaging landscape? The were so desperate to stop OTT (over the top) services that they... locked everything down in the hope that customers wouldn't churn. It backfired spectacularly.
I'm pretty happy about this, I don't think Apple should be forced to open up iMessage, but not adopting the RCS standard always seemed a bit underhanded to me. Even if it sucks, better cross-platform messaging is a win for everyone.
This is something I never thought I'd see. I hope the GSM association moves fast to make robust E2EE a standard required for proper implementation for carriers. That would go a long way in making a huge improvement over SMS/MMS.
This is a win for RCS, ultimately. Maybe this will kick carriers into high gear to up their messaging standard support game and have standard interop.
I don't think this will lead to a decline in iMessage usage, nor do I think it will be catalyst enough to get people to move to Android, because there are still things RCS won't be able to support[0] but its a big step forward for a more pleasant experience between iOS and Android.
[0]: Memojis, reactions (tapbacks I think their called) and I'm curious about threaded messages. Also, at this time the actual RCS standard does not specificy that messages must be end to end encrypted. iMessage on the other hand has robust E2EE encryption (and you can get even more robust encryption by enabling Advanced Data Protection)
> Breaking: Apple will support RCS - the green bubble shame set to end
Note that the green bubble could be kept for other reasons: RCS is a major improvement over SMS/MMS, but there could still be functionality that isn't on par with a completely in-house system like 'iMessage'.
The green/blue distinction may still be useful for setting certain expectations on how things work.
> This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users," said an Apple spokesperson.
I could be wrong but I don’t see anything here to suggest non-iMessages will no longer have the “green bubble” like the author assumes.
I'm betting the non-Apple bubbles will remain green... and remain a bit stigmatized.
It was never about the resolution of pictures and even technical limitations around group chat was just part of it. It's a social thing and the technical protocol is incidental.
Dr. Seuss probably explained it best in The Sneetches.
What a surprise! I'm quite sure RCS bubbles will be green though, and that's still going to be enough of a difference when it comes to teen groups and even adult dating.
The EU may mandate interoperability, but I don't see them mandating bubble color...
Excellent. The next step is for Google to release a free and open source way for Android developers to build apps that send RCS messages. Currently, the only messaging app on Android that fully supports RCS is Messages by Google, which is closed source and requires Google Play Services to activate RCS features.
Also, end-to-end encryption is not part of the RCS specification, but is a proprietary extension to RCS that Google has made exclusive to Messages by Google.[1] This feature should be made open and added to the actual RCS specification so that Apple and other vendors can make use of it.
(Notes: There is a proprietary RCS API which Google only allows Samsung apps to use to communicate with Messages by Google.[2] Verizon has an app called Verizon Messages or Message+ that uses RCS to some extent, but this is an incomplete implementation that only works on Samsung devices on the Verizon network with no cross-carrier compatibility.[3])
The lede is quite cleverly buried here. Key sentence is "We will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association"
So no end to end encryption and the bubbles will most still likely be green.
Even with the mutterings about improving security etc it's unlikely that the GSM Association will ever sign off on any encryption scheme that isn't weak or backdoored.
As an Android user, it'd be nice if replying "No" to "Do you want RCS?" meant "Never ask me again" and wasn't just interpreted as "ask me again in next week and every week thereafter".
Despite the usual "I want Apple to be a walled garden" sentiment that is prevalent on HN, I'm glad that the EU, DoJ and all the various corporate lawsuits are finally forcing Apple to open up their ecosystem, even if it is still far from where it should be. The smartphone is now the primary personal computer for most of the planet, and deserves to be treated as such.
I don't mind Apple adopting RCS the same way that SMS is implemented. I like that iMessage can add features at whatever pace Apple wants. RCS will at least fix the annoying group message problems that Android/iOS have.
Yeah definetly would not expect it to be blue as 9 to 5 noted how Apple mentioned it won't be as secure as iMessage and iMessage will be separate. So presumably people texting will still want to know if they see blue they get full privacy where is if they see green or a new color it means yes they get lots of new features like iMessage, but not as secure as iMessage. But the green bubble (or whatever new color) will be less shameful, if users in general can group chat and chat easily without worrying about not being able to do most all the standard features they can with other iPhone users. Time will tell.
Wouldn't worry at all. It's a cool feature if it works. The value in that blue bubble is less about the features of iMessage and more about social capital, not that I personally care.
It wasn't the carriers, it was Apple mostly winning the race in creating their walled garden, and everyone else being disinterested in an alternative in the phone race wars.
It's now some badge of shame Apple users discriminate against the blue vs green windows if a friend or relative doesn't have an i-thing, and Apple loves it all the way to the bank.
Bingo. The cartel was so focused on trying to save their existing money printing machine they took their eye off the ball and refused to disrupt themselves.
The cable television industry did the exact same thing. If they’d been willing to go OTT a decade ago and not force agreements based on geolocation, a lot of the streaming services that exist wouldn’t even need to exist today.
> It was never about the resolution of pictures and even technical limitations around group chat was just part of it.
It can be about both. It’s really nice to know when the images you sent are gonna be potato-quality and you need to find some other channel to send them, or that message reliability and capabilities in general are being limited to SMS (or RCS!) levels. I don’t give a shit about the social aspects, it’s valuable as a UI affordance.
> I hope the GSM association moves fast to make robust E2EE a standard required for proper implementation for carriers. That would go a long way in making a huge improvement over SMS/MMS.
Can telcos actually offer E2EE given the various lawful intercept statutes that they are usually subject to?
I think the system should delineate between messages sent through different services. Maybe we'll end up with three colors (green == sms/mms, blue = iMessage, purple == rcs)
I love when people comment on the color of a text message.
It makes it real easy to know who to block, because they worry about entirely the wrong things.
It will be interesting to see what color they choose for RCS. Right now, blue indicates an end-to-end encrypted message and green indicates not encrypted. Even when messaging between two Apple devices you can get a green bubble if, for some reason, the message is routed over SMS.
If it were up to me, encrypted RCS would be blue and not-encrypted RCS would be green.
I’ve had a couple girlfriends in their 40s mildly judge me negatively for having an Android phone, but someone who would take that seriously enough for it to affect their relationship decisions is someone I’d rather not be involved with. Maybe it would be better to text people with a “beater” Android phone as a test for how shallow they may be, like the semi-cliche of a financially well-off person driving an old truck to a first date vs their fancy car.
it will remain green, which means the signaling effect will also remain. the funny thing is everyone claims it's down to quality but guessing it won't matter, plus no 8ball/facetime will still push people towards iphones.
especially w young ppl, where i think like 90% have iphones. if i had a nickel for every time a gal mentioned green bubbles give her the ick, i wouldn't be rich but could probably buy a solid steak dinner off it.
This is why I don't buy Google's bad faith shaming of Apple for not adopting RCS. The current version of it that people are using on Android isn't even a "standard" by any normal usage of the term, it's just another Google messaging service. No one can make their own app, and there's barely any carrier adoption, so Google is basically running the whole network.
Does this mean that now if you send a message to someone from an iPhone that doesn't go through iMessage, it will instead go through Google's servers? Sure the service will hopefully be better than SMS but at the cost of giving Google the keys to pretending they're a "standard."
The answer is that the carriers worked out a specification and both infra-vendors and device-vendors were left to develop the server/client based on that spec.
So each major device-vendor developed his client-app, and ended up with interoperability issues not only with the RCS-servers used by a given carrier, but also with devices of OTHER vendors. And that doesn't even begin to cover the issues on inter-carrier messaging...
The situation was only resolved after Google acquired Jibe Mobile (the biggest player in developing RCS server/client applications for carriers) and basically created a single RCS-client/server implementation using their Android Messages app and a Google-owned server.
But when you were working on RCS back in 2012, you may remember that at that time, RCS didn't even support store&forward (!!).
So if the receiving device was not available when a message was delivered (because it had no network or client wasn't running on a device, which happened alot especially on iOS because the client was in a constant fight with the OS), the message wasn't queued anywhere.
Apart from the obvious issue of missing messages, it caused the even worse UX-impact that the entire conversation looked different on sender/receiver.
--
Ah yes, and: RCS was originally designed with per-message billing in mind (of course). At the time it was launched it was finally clear to the carriers that those times are over, but the whole architecture had quite a chunk of billing architecture in it as well...
> I hope the GSM association moves fast to make robust E2EE a standard required for proper implementation for carriers.
This is pretty moot now. Google has effectively turned RCS into a proprietary protocol, they fully control the only relevant server implementation, carriers that want to interconnect have no choice but to deploy Jibe or use Jibe as a service.
Editorial Channel
What the content says
+0.30
Article 19Freedom of Expression
Medium Framing
Editorial
+0.30
SETL
ND
Content extensively covers expanded communication capabilities enabling richer expression through cross-platform media access
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Article reports RCS enables read receipts, typing indicators, high-quality images and videos between platforms
Text describes users gaining ability to share location within text threads
Article states RCS works over mobile data or Wi-Fi removing SMS/MMS technical constraints
Content notes limitations of SMS and MMS will no longer affect most iPhone-Android messaging
Inferences
Rich communication features enable users to express themselves with greater nuance than SMS constraints allowed
Cross-platform availability ensures freedom of expression is not limited by device choice or platform lock-in
Real-time features enable fuller and more authentic expression of information and intent across platforms
Removal of technical barriers expands practical scope of what can be freely expressed
+0.20
Article 1Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood
Medium Framing
Editorial
+0.20
SETL
ND
Content reports Apple's adoption of RCS as providing equal communication capabilities to all users regardless of platform choice, supporting equal dignity in rights
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Apple spokesperson states RCS 'will offer better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS'
Article emphasizes feature will enable communication between iPhone and Android users with equal quality
Inferences
Equal communication capabilities across platforms supports principle of equal inherent dignity regardless of device choice
Eliminating messaging quality differences based on device demonstrates recognition of equal worth
+0.20
Article 7Equality Before Law
Medium Framing
Editorial
+0.20
SETL
ND
Content discusses Apple's compliance with EU regulatory frameworks requiring equal platform treatment under law
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Article states Apple is getting ahead of potential regulatory problems with this announcement
Text explicitly mentions impending EU legislation (Digital Markets Act) addressing platform equality
Article notes Apple is appealing DMA inclusion while proactively implementing RCS
Inferences
Regulatory compliance framework suggests recognition that fair platform treatment is a legal obligation
Apple's proactive announcement indicates acknowledgment that legal equality standards must be met across jurisdictions
International regulatory attention demonstrates that communication rights have become enshrined in enforceable law
+0.20
Article 27Cultural Participation
Medium Framing
Editorial
+0.20
SETL
ND
Content celebrates Apple's participation in international standards bodies advancing technical progress and interoperability
FW Ratio: 57%
Observable Facts
Article discusses RCS Universal Profile standard published by GSM Association
Text states Apple played integral role in developing Qi2 wireless charging standard
Article mentions Apple worked with Amazon and Google on Matter smart home standard
Content references FIDO Alliance collaboration on Passkeys with Microsoft and Google
Inferences
Participation in international standards bodies advances technical and cultural progress through cooperation
Open standards development represents progress beyond proprietary systems limiting user choice
Multi-company collaboration demonstrates commitment to interoperable technological infrastructure
+0.20
Article 28Social & International Order
Medium Framing
Editorial
+0.20
SETL
ND
Content emphasizes international cooperation on standards and regulatory frameworks promoting fair communication order
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Article discusses RCS through international standards body GSMA
Text references multiple international standards bodies: FIDO Alliance, GSM Association
Article extensively discusses EU Digital Markets Act as international legal framework
Content states Apple will work with GSMA members to further improve RCS protocol
Inferences
International cooperation on technical standards creates social order enabling fair communication across borders
Recognition of international regulatory frameworks demonstrates commitment to international legal order
Participation in global standards bodies shows engagement with international systems promoting social cooperation
GSMA membership and cross-company collaboration build toward international systems of fair communication
+0.20
Article 30No Destruction of Rights
Medium Framing
Editorial
+0.20
SETL
ND
Content describes Apple's commitment to open standards as protection against monopolistic abuse of communication infrastructure
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Article states this is not Apple opening iMessage to other platforms
Text notes Apple will not use proprietary end-to-end encryption on top of RCS
Article notes iMessage will continue as platform for iPhone-to-iPhone communication
Content discusses multiple open standards: Matter, Qi2, Passkeys, RCS
Inferences
Commitment to open standards over proprietary extensions protects against monopolistic abuse of communication
Refusing proprietary encryption layers prevents technical lock-in undermining communication rights
Maintaining separate iMessage and RCS prevents using market dominance to force proprietary solutions
Investment in multiple open standards demonstrates resistance to using technology dominance for control
+0.10
PreamblePreamble
Medium Framing
Editorial
+0.10
SETL
ND
Content frames communication improvements as universal benefit aligned with preamble's recognition of equal dignity in interconnected societies
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Article discusses improving communication infrastructure globally across iPhone and Android platforms
Content emphasizes making communication tools available to all users without platform-based discrimination
Inferences
Focus on universal communication access reflects principles of shared human dignity across diverse user populations
Global interoperability frameworks acknowledge interconnected nature of modern human rights
+0.10
Article 2Non-Discrimination
Medium Framing
Editorial
+0.10
SETL
ND
Content describes RCS implementation as removing barriers to communication that previously discriminated based on platform choice
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Article emphasizes RCS makes messaging conversations between iPhone and Android users seamless
Text notes universal carrier support: all three major US carriers and vast majority globally support RCS
Inferences
Universal carrier support suggests effort to provide communication rights without geographic or network discrimination
Cross-platform equality implies rejection of device-based discrimination in communication access
+0.10
Article 20Assembly & Association
Medium Framing
Editorial
+0.10
SETL
ND
Content describes RCS as removing technical barriers enabling users to associate across platform boundaries
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Article emphasizes RCS enables communication between iPhone and Android users without technical barriers
Text states limitations of SMS and MMS will no longer hinder messaging conversations between platforms
Inferences
Removing technical barriers to cross-platform communication supports users' ability to associate regardless of device choice
Equal access to communication tools enables people to maintain communities across platform boundaries
-0.10
Article 12Privacy
Medium Framing
Editorial
-0.10
SETL
+0.14
Content acknowledges RCS encryption is weaker than iMessage but frames this as acceptable trade-off for interoperability; does not advocate for stronger privacy protections
FW Ratio: 50%
Observable Facts
Article states RCS does not currently support encryption as strong as iMessage
Text emphasizes Apple will not use proprietary end-to-end encryption on top of RCS
Page includes adsbygoogle tag for Google AdSense advertising indicating third-party tracking
Article mentions Advanced Data Protection for Messages exclusively for iMessage users
Inferences
Editorial framing treats privacy and security as secondary considerations relative to interoperability rather than as fundamental rights
Site's advertising infrastructure contradicts any principled stance on protecting correspondence privacy
Acknowledged encryption gap represents acceptance of surveillance risks as necessary cost of cross-platform communication
Differential privacy protection suggests resignation to two-tier privacy system rather than advocacy for universal encryption
ND
Article 3Life, Liberty, Security
Content does not address right to life, liberty, or security of person
ND
Article 4No Slavery
Content does not address freedom from slavery or servitude
ND
Article 5No Torture
Content does not address freedom from torture or degrading treatment
ND
Article 6Legal Personhood
Content does not address right to recognition as person
ND
Article 8Right to Remedy
Content does not address right to effective remedy
ND
Article 9No Arbitrary Detention
Content does not address freedom from arbitrary arrest
ND
Article 10Fair Hearing
Content does not address right to fair trial
ND
Article 11Presumption of Innocence
Content does not address presumption of innocence
ND
Article 13Freedom of Movement
Content does not address freedom of movement
ND
Article 14Asylum
Content does not address right to asylum
ND
Article 15Nationality
Content does not address right to nationality
ND
Article 16Marriage & Family
Content does not address marriage and family rights
ND
Article 17Property
Content does not address property rights
ND
Article 18Freedom of Thought
Content does not address freedom of conscience and religion
ND
Article 21Political Participation
Content does not address democratic participation
ND
Article 22Social Security
Content does not address social security or welfare
ND
Article 23Work & Equal Pay
Content does not address work and fair labor conditions
ND
Article 24Rest & Leisure
Content does not address rest and leisure
ND
Article 25Standard of Living
Content does not address health and wellbeing
ND
Article 26Education
Content does not address education
ND
Article 29Duties to Community
Content does not address community responsibilities
Structural Channel
What the site does
-0.20
Article 12Privacy
Medium Framing
Structural
-0.20
Context Modifier
ND
SETL
+0.14
Site uses Google AdSense and affiliate tracking infrastructure, contradicting any principled stance on protecting correspondence privacy
ND
PreamblePreamble
Medium Framing
N/A
ND
Article 1Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood
Medium Framing
N/A
ND
Article 2Non-Discrimination
Medium Framing
N/A
ND
Article 3Life, Liberty, Security
N/A
ND
Article 4No Slavery
N/A
ND
Article 5No Torture
N/A
ND
Article 6Legal Personhood
N/A
ND
Article 7Equality Before Law
Medium Framing
N/A
ND
Article 8Right to Remedy
N/A
ND
Article 9No Arbitrary Detention
N/A
ND
Article 10Fair Hearing
N/A
ND
Article 11Presumption of Innocence
N/A
ND
Article 13Freedom of Movement
N/A
ND
Article 14Asylum
N/A
ND
Article 15Nationality
N/A
ND
Article 16Marriage & Family
N/A
ND
Article 17Property
N/A
ND
Article 18Freedom of Thought
N/A
ND
Article 19Freedom of Expression
Medium Framing
N/A
ND
Article 20Assembly & Association
Medium Framing
N/A
ND
Article 21Political Participation
N/A
ND
Article 22Social Security
N/A
ND
Article 23Work & Equal Pay
N/A
ND
Article 24Rest & Leisure
N/A
ND
Article 25Standard of Living
N/A
ND
Article 26Education
N/A
ND
Article 27Cultural Participation
Medium Framing
N/A
ND
Article 28Social & International Order
Medium Framing
N/A
ND
Article 29Duties to Community
N/A
ND
Article 30No Destruction of Rights
Medium Framing
N/A
Supplementary Signals
How this content communicates, beyond directional lean. Learn more
build ef36a6c+2y0s · deployed 2026-02-28 14:01 UTC · evaluated 2026-02-28 14:08:40 UTC
Support HN HRCB
Each evaluation uses real API credits. HN HRCB runs on donations — no ads, no paywalls.
If you find it useful, please consider helping keep it running.