Android users receiving distorted GIFs from iPhones on Google Messages
In recent weeks, Google Messages for Android users have reported an issue of receiving distorted GIFs from iPhones. These GIFs, sent via SMS and MMS, are appearing as still pictures with missing dots or pixels. The problem has been identified by users of various Android devices including Pixel and Samsung, although it does not affect all iPhone-Android conversations.
Potential causes of distortion
The distortion issue is not believed to be a problem with the Android OS, but potentially with the Google Messages app. However, as no instances of this issue have been found in Android-to-Android conversations, there's speculation that iOS may be at fault. A potential compression or rendering bug in iOS could be causing these distortions.
Timeline of the distorted GIFs issue
The number of reports about this distortion issue started to increase in mid-May, although some Android users claim it has been taking place for a few weeks prior. Interestingly, Apple rolled out iOS 17.5 on May 13, with beta testing beginning on April 2. The correlation between the release and the reported issues is yet to be confirmed.
Apple's upcoming RCS adoption
This issue arises as Apple is working to adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS) on the iPhone. The first beta of iOS 18 is expected to arrive next month at WWDC 2024. However, it is unclear if RCS will be enabled on those first previews, and whether this would have any impact on the ongoing GIF distortion issue.
