iPhone users to see major messaging change in 2024

Thought you’d finally got to grips with the latest changes to your phone? Unlucky.

iPhone users are going to see a pretty major change to messaging in 2024.

But the good news is, it’s a rather positive change that could things easier for everyone.

Experts are reportedly surprised by it too, as they ‘never thought they’d see it happen’.

Those with a group chat on iMessage will know that it can be quite inconvenience if there’s a mix of your mates who have an iPhone or Android device.

Who am I kidding, I know you all have your group chats on WhatsApp to save that chaos.

If you're texting your Android pal using iMessage on your Apple phone, you can’t really use all the same features. It can be far more fuss than it's worth.

But Apple have now said that starting ‘later next year’, it will add RCS support to the iPhone.

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

RCS stands for Rich Communication Services and is the successor of SMS and MMS.

The revamped form of messaging is the protocol on Android devices and requires data connectivity rather than the cellular network – like the traditional ‘text’.

TechTarget writes: “RCS is considered by many to be a more convenient and wide-ranging communications platform than SMS and even other OTT counterparts, like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Telegram.”

Ok, yeah, that’s all getting a bit techy.

But the short of it is, the iPhone maker is going to take on the same messaging standard as Android.

So you’ll be getting universal iMessage-like features such as higher-resolution photo and video sharing and read receipts no matter if the other person has an iPhone too or not.

Getty Stock Photo

This change from Apple is likely to be a response to an upcoming new EU law that will force companies to ensure their services work across other devices.

A spokesperson from the tech company clarified the changes to 9to5Max as they said: “Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association.

"We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS.

"This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users.”

iMessage won’t be going anywhere though, and RCS chats with Android users will likely still be outed with a green bubble rather than the blue iPhone bubble.

Topics: Technology, iPhone, Apple

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_