Google's New 'iPager' Ad Shames Apple for Using Outdated Messaging Standard

Google is continuing on with its relentless #GetTheMessage marketing campaign in an attempt to get Apple to adopt the RCS messaging protocol. In its latest ad, Google shows off the "iPager," which Google describes as a device that "uses outdated messaging tech" like Apple uses "when texting with Android."

‌RCS‌, or Rich Communication Services, is a communication protocol designed by and adopted by Google. Google has been pushing Apple to implement support for ‌RCS‌, but Apple devices continue to support the older SMS protocol. Google claims that Apple is responsible for all the issues that Android and iPhone users have texting one another, including lack of encryption, broken group chats, pixelated pictures and videos, and the green bubbles.

"iPager isn't real, but the problems that Apple causes by using SMS are. Let's make texting better for everyone and help Apple #GetTheMessage and upgrade to ‌RCS‌," read's Google's video.

Major U.S. carriers and other carriers worldwide have adopted support for ‌RCS‌, but Apple has no plans to do so despite Google's multi-year effort. Google has used billboards, ads, websites, social media campaigns, and more to get Apple's attention and to try to convince iPhone users to request the feature from Apple, but so far, it hasn't worked.

In September 2022, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that ‌RCS‌ is not a priority for Apple. "I don't hear our users asking that we put a lot of energy in on that at this point," he explained. To one reporter who said he was having an issue texting his mother on an Android device, Cook said "Buy your mom an iPhone."

It is not clear if Apple will ever adopt ‌RCS‌, but so far, it does not sound like the company has any interest in doing so. If Apple did adopt ‌RCS‌, it would allow for end-to-end encryption for conversations between iPhone and Android users, as well as higher quality media. Apple already offers these features for the iMessage service that works from iPhone to iPhone.