Google Urges Apple Not to 'Drop the Ball' on Fixing Messaging in New Billboard Pushing RCS

Google is continuing on with its #GetTheMessage campaign attempting to convince Apple to adopt the RCS messaging protocol, this time taking out a large New Year's-themed ad at Harmon Corner in Las Vegas.

apple android rcs ad
The digital billboard urges Apple not to "drop the ball" on fixing its "pixelated photos and videos."

Hey Apple, it's Android

the ball may have dropped on 2022, but you don't have to drop the ball on fixing your pixelated photos and videos. Here's some code to get the ball rolling...

After the short message, the billboard scrolls through ‌RCS‌ code, ending with a plea to customers to "Help Apple #GetTheMessage," the hashtag that Google has been using for the campaign.

Google launched the "Get the Message" push back in August with a full website highlighting the benefits of ‌RCS‌, which include support for higher resolution photos and videos, audio messages, and bigger file sizes, along with improved encryption, cross-platform emoji reactions, and more reliable group chats across different devices.


Google has been pestering Apple to adopt ‌RCS‌ for well over a year through the website, pleas on Twitter, billboards, and more, but Apple has made no acknowledgement of Google's efforts. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said that ‌RCS‌ is not a priority. "I don't hear our users asking that we put a lot of energy in on that at this point," said Cook.

All major mobile carriers and manufacturers have implemented ‌RCS‌ support, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Samsung, Sony, and others, with Apple remaining the lone holdout.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Black

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

Apple Changes How You Order a Mac

Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...

Top Rated Comments

alexandr Avatar
40 months ago
Hey Google, focus on your own balls...
Score: 103 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macdaddy43 Avatar
40 months ago
It is bad for the consumer when large corporations like Apple refuse such a simple fix in the name of profits. Do I blame them? I can't say that I do, it makes sense that Apple doesn't have any interest in fixing texting. But at the same time, I can't get behind something that ultimately only hurts the consumer, and this does.

Texting iOS to Android is horrible but it doesn't have to be that way, and it shouldn't.
Score: 68 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
40 months ago
I can't help but wonder had Apple designed iMessage to play nicer with other platforms in the beginning that iMessage usage would be greater in other countries instead of WeChat, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messanger
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alchemistmuffin Avatar
40 months ago
RCS is security issue waiting to happen.

https://www.autobahn-security.com/blog/rcs-hacking-2

And this is why Apple never implemented, and never will. iMessage is still super encrypted and is the gold standard for encrypted messaging.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rorschach Avatar
40 months ago

Apple talks a lot about Privacy as a differentiator for their devices. They should live up to it and start messaging through RCS when the other person is using it on their end.
Encryption isn’t part of the RCS standard. It’s a proprietary Google extension.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechieGeek Avatar
40 months ago

Encryption isn’t part of the RCS standard. It’s a proprietary Google extension.
Doesn't matter who invented it. End-to-end encryption can occur via RCS, and neither Apple nor Google nor Carriers would have access to your messages.

Apple insisting on sending messages via SMS isn't what a Privacy-concerned company would do.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)