Android Messages and iMessage reactions

[pseudoware]

Why is it arrogant?

It's a rich chat feature that doesn't work for SMS. Converting a user action into a text message for a subset of participants because they didn't buy the manufacturer's device is poor design, lame and arrogant. The majority of Android users were confused AF when they started getting those msgs, and I haven't met one who likes it. Even most iPhone users had no idea what was happening when questioned about it. The responsible design would be to restrict that feature to iMessage conversations.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

It's a rich chat feature that doesn't work for SMS. Converting a user action into a text message for a subset of participants because they didn't buy the manufacturer's device is poor design, lame and arrogant. The majority of Android users were confused AF when they started getting those msgs, and I haven't met one who likes it. Even most iPhone users had no idea what was happening when questioned about it. The responsible design would be to restrict that feature to iMessage conversations.

It would probably also make iPhone users even less willing to include "green bubbles" in their conversations, though.

So yeah, I'm surprised they didn't do it.

 

[pseudoware]

It would probably also make iPhone users even less willing to include "green bubbles" in their conversations, though.

So yeah, I'm surprised they didn't do it.

Of course, the other option, and the most ideal one as far as users are concerned, would have been to make iMessage cross-platform like Whatsapp, Signal, Telegram, etc. but we know how those discussions went.

 

[Maljunulo]

My family and most of my friends use either Signal or Wickr, so we are oblivious to this ongoing drama.

I guess some folks get really spun up over it.

 

[Scott337]

My family and most of my friends use either Signal or Wickr, so we are oblivious to this ongoing drama.

I guess some folks get really spun up over it.

I don't think many people get spun up over it or even know anything about it. It's not a big deal in the grand scheme of life.

 

[pseudoware]

I guess some folks get really spun up over it.

Ranting to strangers online is how I cope.

If an iPhone user messages a wall of text, and 3 or 4 others "react" to that message, non iMessage users get 3 or 4 separate msgs, each with that wall of text in quotes along with "laughed" at, or whatever. Not the best experience.

Or if someone "loves" an image sent 10 msgs ago, before other images were sent, the non-iMessage user sees a new "loved an image" msg, w/o any context. Don't know which image they're reacting to. Poor design.

End of the world? Hardly. 1st world problem? Absolutely.

With that said, I just got an "Emphasized an image" text from my buddy with an iPhone, so no, I don't have the feature in the OP yet.

 

[spARTacus]

In my opinion, the carriers (or someone else) should force all the manufactures to have to implement a standard across SMS for if any of them are going to do rich features using SMS. Let's all adopte whatever iMessage uses. Or, have Apple adopt RCS. However, a mix match is just silly, in my opinion.

 

[mustang7757]

In my opinion, the carriers (or someone else) should force all the manufactures to have to implement a standard across SMS for if any of them are going to do rich features using SMS. Let's all adopte whatever iMessage uses. Or, have Apple adopt RCS. However, a mix match is just silly, in my opinion.

Google rcs is going be the standard, carriers had their own rcs for long time with some weren't compatible with each other , so now all US carriers are on board with Google rcs and should see it standard on upcoming phones .

 

[mustang7757]

Link

https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/20/22584443/verizon-android-messages-rcs

 

[pseudoware]

In my opinion, the carriers (or someone else) should force all the manufactures to have to implement a standard across SMS for if any of them are going to do rich features using SMS. Let's all adopte whatever iMessage uses. Or, have Apple adopt RCS. However, a mix match is just silly, in my opinion.

Totally agree. iMessage could have been that defacto standard. 80%+ of my contacts use iPhones. I'd install iMessage if I could, as it's the easiest path to experiencing rich messaging with as many people as possible. I'm guessing many other Android users would do the same.

As it stands, RCS is our best hope for such a standard. Once Google opens up their messaging API, and WhatsApp, Signal, overseas carriers, etc. implement RCS support, and then (looking way ahead), carriers start thinking about dropping SMS support, somewhere along the way, Apple is going to have to consider opening up iMessage, or supporting RCS.

 

[ras47]

Google rcs is going be the standard, carriers had their own rcs for long time with some weren't compatible with each other , so now all US carriers are on board with Google rcs and should see it standard on upcoming phones .

You know how Apple feels about any standards but their own. USB-C is the standard for charging phones, yet Apple still insists on using their proprietary Lightning cable. The lads in Cupertino are more interested in leveraging iMessage to move folks to iOS.

 

[mustang7757]

You know how Apple feels about any standards but their own. USB-C is the standard for charging phones, yet Apple still insists on using their proprietary Lightning cable. The lads in Cupertino are more interested in leveraging iMessage to move folks to iOS.

Apple in their own world , im talking about Andriod getting it together with RCS and Google going lead the way no carriers mangling their own rcs. At some point Apple going see having cross platform featues not going hurt them and to me it wont .

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Totally agree. iMessage could have been that defacto standard. 80%+ of my contacts use iPhones. I'd install iMessage if I could, as it's the easiest path to experiencing rich messaging with as many people as possible. I'm guessing many other Android users would do the same.

As it stands, RCS is our best hope for such a standard. Once Google opens up their messaging API, and WhatsApp, Signal, overseas carriers, etc. implement RCS support, and then (looking way ahead), carriers start thinking about dropping SMS support, somewhere along the way, Apple is going to have to consider opening up iMessage, or supporting RCS.

There are also a good number of us who wouldn't install iMessage if you paid us. Granting Apple a monopoly on messaging may have been AN answer, but it's not a good answer.

Glad they never released it.

 

[spARTacus]

There are also a good number of us who wouldn't install iMessage if you paid us. Granting Apple a monopoly on messaging may have been AN answer, but it's not a good answer.

Glad they never released it.

...but google can have it instead, with RCS?

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

...but google can have it instead, with RCS?

RCS is an open standard which is not owned by nor was it created by Google.

 

[spARTacus]

RCS is an open standard which is not owned by nor was it created by Google.

From what I had understood, the current google implementation involves services as hosted by Google, rather than carriers.

 

[spARTacus]

From what I had understood, the current google implementation involves services as hosted by Google, rather than carriers.

...and that some of the US carriers have basically adopted to have users need to rely on Google's Messaging App.

To be honest, I am not following it as closely as others and I am not sure of all the details. However, if things keep going the current way they are heading with RCS, it just seemed to me that Google could essentially end up doing the same (when we later look back at it) as if everyone would have just moved to iMessaging.

 

[lcs101]

Ranting to strangers online is how I cope.

If an iPhone user messages a wall of text, and 3 or 4 others "react" to that message, non iMessage users get 3 or 4 separate msgs, each with that wall of text in quotes along with "laughed" at, or whatever. Not the best experience.

Or if someone "loves" an image sent 10 msgs ago, before other images were sent, the non-iMessage user sees a new "loved an image" msg, w/o any context. Don't know which image they're reacting to. Poor design.

End of the world? Hardly. 1st world problem? Absolutely.

With that said, I just got an "Emphasized an image" text from my buddy with an iPhone, so no, I don't have the feature in the OP yet.

In my experience, mixed SMS leads to everyone getting the written out reactions, not just those on Android.

 

[pseudoware]

In my experience, mixed SMS leads to everyone getting the written out reactions, not just those on Android.

Yes, you're right. I can see how my comment can appear to imply otherwise.

 

[lcs101]

Yes, you're right. I can see how my comment can appear to imply otherwise.

All good. It was a nit-picky thing from me anyhow.