OPINION: Apple and Google have been at loggerheads for fairly a while. Google needs Apple to include RCS help into its standard Messages apps so these texting from Android to iPhone, and vice versa, can get pleasure from most of the identical options that iMessage provides, from voice messaging to sending images and movies free of charge.Â
The issue is that Apple simply retains saying no.
Nevertheless, whereas Apple is flat-out refusing to include help even after Google launched a large advertising and marketing marketing campaign and a completely new part on the Android web site devoted to explaining the thought, a comparatively new messaging app has taken issues into its personal palms and has formally made RCS out there to iPhone customers.
Beeper is a brand new form of common chat app that permits customers to message on a number of platforms concurrently. It at present helps over ten platforms, together with Instagram, Fb Messenger, LinkedIn, Twitter, Slack, Discord and even Apple’s iMessage, with the latter permitting for simple entry to Apple’s chat platform for Android customers – one thing I’ve praised the app for up to now.
Nevertheless, it’s going from power to power in 2023 as a brand new replace that rolled out to iOS and Android variations of the app introduces Google RCS help. It’s not that massive of a deal for Android customers, admittedly – the official Google Messages app on the platform helps RCS – however it’s a large deal for these on iPhone, offering entry to RCS on the platform for the primary time.
RCS permits iOS customers to get pleasure from an iMessage-like expertise when chatting with their Android-based mates in Beeper. It not solely eliminates that hideous inexperienced bubble with an iMessage-like color scheme, however it permits you to ship voice messages, high-res photos, stickers, emoji and extra, full with Tapback help.Â
The latter has historically been an annoyance for Android customers utilizing normal SMS with iPhone buddies as, slightly than taking part in a enjoyable animation on iOS, you simply get textual content message descriptions, so it’s good to lastly see some parity.Â
Admittedly, it’s not an ideal different, with a number of options but to be carried out. Nonetheless, it’s nearly as good as you’ll doubtless get on iOS for fairly a while until we see a whole 180 from Apple – and I can’t think about that taking place.
The flexibility to make use of RCS on iPhone apart, Beeper is a game-changing app that has remodeled how I exploit social media over the previous few months. The flexibility to message everybody from a central platform stops me from scrolling aimlessly on social media apps after replying to a message from a buddy or member of the family. It’s additionally a lot simpler to make use of with a unified UI and have set throughout all platforms.Â
It has turn out to be my go-to chat app and one of many first I set up on the smartphones I check each week.Â
It’s nonetheless in lively growth in closed beta in the mean time, however for those who’re , you’ll be able to join the waitlist on the Beeper web site to get entry within the coming months as extra customers are onboarded.Â