Google Executive Wants to Help Apple Make Texts Between Android and iPhone Users More Secure

A Google executive is extending an open hand to help Apple adopt RCS, a new communication protocol called Rich Communication Services to iPhone and iPad, that would replace standard SMS and offer improved cross-platform messaging capabilities.

General Apps Messages
In a tweet, Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google's senior vice president of Android, said that "group chats don't need to break this way," referring to a sub-tweet about the inconvenience Android and ‌iPhone‌ users have in communicating via messages. Alluding to the ‌RCS‌ protocol, Lockheimer goes on to state there is a "Really Clear Solution" and that he is offering an "open invitation to the folks who can make this right," with the "folks" in question being a reference to Apple.

Google has been rolling out ‌RCS‌ for the past several years, and in July, all three major carriers in the U.S. pledged to adopt RCS, which, compared to SMS, offers support for higher quality photos and videos, audio messages, improved security, and better group chats.

With ‌RCS‌, Android to Android messaging communication will become fully end-to-end encrypted. In contrast, Android to ‌iPhone‌ communication often referred to as the "green bubble," will be less secure due to Apple's unwillingness to adopt ‌RCS‌.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Five Things to Expect From Apple's 'Awe Dropping' September 9 Event

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
Apple today announced its "Awe Dropping" iPhone-centric event, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There are a long list of products that are coming, but we thought we'd pull out five feature highlights to look forward to. That Super Thin iPhone - Apple's September 9 event will see the unveiling of the first redesigned iPhone we've had in years, ...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Apple Event Logo Hints at Two iPhone 17 Pro Features

Wednesday August 27, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
Apple's logo for its upcoming September 9 event hints at two rumored iPhone 17 Pro features, including new color options and a vapor chamber cooling system. Of course, this is all just speculation for fun, as we count down the final days until the event. New Colors Last month, Macworld's Filipe Espósito reported that orange and dark blue would be two out of the five color options...
Alleged iPhone 17 Pro Antenna Design

Two All-New iPhone 17 Colors Seemingly Confirmed

Monday August 25, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple will offer the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max in a new orange color, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman made the claim in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, adding that the new iPhone 17 Air – replacing the iPhone 16 Plus – will come in a new light blue color. We've heard multiple rumors about a new iPhone 17 Pro color being a shade of orange. The ...
crossbody strap

iPhone 17's 'Crossbody Strap' Accessory to Feature Magnetic Design

Thursday August 28, 2025 7:49 am PDT by
Apple's cases for the iPhone 17 lineup will be accompanied by a new Crossbody Strap accessory with a unique magnetic design, according to the leaker known as "Majin Bu." Apple's Crossbody Strap reportedly features an unusual magnetic design; it likely has a "flexible metal core" that makes it magnetic along its entire length. At the ends, "rings polarized oppositely to the strap close the...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3: Four Key Design Changes Anticipated

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:05 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022 other than a shift from Lightning to USB-C, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will launch AirPods Pro 3 later this year, and apart from new features like heart rate monitoring, we're also expecting a few design changes. The fourth‑generation AirPods offer useful clues to Apple's design cues for ...

Top Rated Comments

xxray Avatar
51 months ago
Use Signal
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
@Brett Avatar
51 months ago

Perhaps Apple could develop RCS support using some of the $11 Billion Google pays privacy-minded Apple every year to put its corporate fingers in its ears and pretend Google isn't monetizing Apple's users search queries.
They may pay Apple to be default but I am sure there are Apple users like me who quickly change that to something like Duck Duck Go.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SpringKid Avatar
51 months ago

In Europe, WhatsApp is standard. It's not ideal (Facebook owned), but at least its available on every phone.
As a fellow European, I'm not entirely sure I believe this, unless you have some statistics to back it up with?

I've never used WhatsApp, by the way.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BootsWalking Avatar
51 months ago
Perhaps Apple could develop RCS support using some of the $11 Billion Google pays privacy-minded Apple every year to look the other way and pretend Google isn't monetizing Apple users' privacy.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IsaacM Avatar
51 months ago
Americans seem to use "blue chat bubbles" as some sort of class differentiator and a bragging right, so Apple will hold onto that selling point for the foreseeable future.

In Europe, WhatsApp is standard. It's not ideal (Facebook owned), but at least its available on every phone.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jecowa Avatar
51 months ago
I'm only just hearing of RSC, and i don't know anything about it except that i definitely want it on my next phone. SMS is super old. An upgrade sounds great.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)