Finally! Apple lets iPhone users see Android emoji message reactions
What's the story
Apple has made a major change to its messaging system, enhancing the way it shows message reactions from Android users. Previously, when an Android user reacted to a Rich Communication Services (RCS) message from an iOS user, the emoji would appear as a separate line. Now, these reactions are displayed directly within the text bubble on iOS devices. The Verge confirmed the change via testing between iPhones (running iOS 18.1) and Android phones.
Change details
Uncertainty over the change's implementation
The exact timeline and responsibility for this change remain unclear. It is not known whether Google or Apple made the necessary adjustments to ensure proper display of reactions. When RCS first came to iOS in September, message reactions from Android users weren't displayed correctly on iPhones, even though it worked fine in reverse.
RCS adoption
Apple's reluctant adoption of RCS standard
Apple's enhancement to its RCS messages comes as a surprise, considering the company's initial reluctance to adopt Google's standard. The tech giant only agreed to support the standard after facing pressure in China and the EU. Basic support for RCS was introduced in iOS 18. Within its Messages app, Apple now officially supports the basic RCS standard called the RCS Universal Profile. The latest emoji reaction support comes as part of RCS version 2.7.