Google today briefly showed a section on the new Google Messages page claiming that Apple is set to roll out Rich Communication Services (RCS) support for iPhones this fall, according to a report by 9to5Google. This indicates that the iPhone maker is likely to extend RCS support in the upcoming iOS 18 update.
The page had details about the benefits of RCS. One of the sections within that had a label “coming soon on iOS” under the subheading, “Better messaging for all.”
The card is not visible on the page now, but TechCrunch has confirmed that the text related to Apple supporting RCS on iOS is still in the source code of the page, at the time of writing.
“Apple has announced it will be adopting RCS in the fall of 2024. Once that happens, it will mean a better messaging experience for everyone,” the description read.
Image Credits: Screenshot taken by 9to5Google
Last November, Apple confirmed that it was working on adding support for RCS. At the time, the company didn’t specify a timeline, but said that the compatibility would arrive “next year.”
For the longest time, Google has urged, nudged and nagged Apple about adding RCS to reduce the “Green bubble-blue bubble” differentiation. RCS will not solve that problem, but it will mean that Android users will be able to send hi-res media to iPhone users via the native text messaging app on Android.
Last year, Google announced new features for RCS such as a profile, Photomoji and improved audio quality for voice notes. The company had said 1 billion people were using RCS monthly.
Today’s news comes as the U.S. Department of Justice is suing Apple, alleging the Cupertino-based company of monopolistic practices. Notably, the lawsuit counts “green bubbles” as an issue affecting user security.