iPhones Are Changing The Way They Do Text Messages

I'll come right out and say it...when I send someone a text message and I get a response that's in a green bubble instead of a blue one, I'm slightly irritated. I'm an iPhone user and have no plans of switching in my lifetime. Before you start thinking I'm some kind of phone snob, I assure you I'm not.

I graduated high school in 2009 and I never once had a smartphone during my 4 high school years. The first iPhone was released in June of 2007 and Android followed in 2008. In the late 2000s smartphones became extremely popular and widely used.

I did not own a smartphone until I was 22 years old which I needed to pay for myself. In hindsight, I'm glad that was the case. I'm sure I've kept my smartphones in good condition because I've always had to pay for them. I'm not #teamiPhone because I know about the technology behind them or I think they're superior in any way...it's just what I've always used and I'd rather not try and figure out how a different kind of phone works. 

For anyone who uses an iPhone, texting will start to look a little bit different. Are they getting rid of the green bubble when you text an Android user?

What's Changing

Anyone who uses an Android phone has dealt with all types of problems when texting someone who uses an iPhone. Sending photos or videos can appear blurry. There's also the green bubble that appears on an iPhone and not an Android. If you're part of a group chat and someone has an Android, users have dealt with not receiving all of the messages being sent. Very First World types of problems.

9to5mac reports that Apple will begin to "adopt RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging standard." Later next year, this new software will bring a wide range of iMessage-style features to messages between iPhones and Androids.

Once Apple has implemented RCS, this will give users the option to share locations with other phone users and RCS will also work with mobile data or Wi-Fi.

Will The Blue/Green Bubbles Be Gone Forever?

Nope. Apple will not be removing iMessage anytime soon, according to 9to5mac. iPhone users will continue to see blue bubbles when messaging other iPhone users and green bubbles will appear when texting users of a different brand.

"This is not Apple opening up iMessage to other platforms. Instead, it’s the company adopting RCS separately from iMessage."

iMessage is supposedly more secure and privacy-friendly than RCS as it is "end-to-end" encrypted, as Apple has now added Advanced Data Protection for messages in iCloud, according to 9to5mac.

Let's call a spade a spade here...do most people really know or understand what any of this means? I don't. I know some people know what all of this tech jargon means but I'd be willing to bet a vast majority of phone users don't.

As long as you can call the people you want to call, message people you want to message and check a work email from time to time, I'd bet most people are perfectly fine with how they're phone works.