Rich Communication Services (RCS) has been a hot topic in the news of late, thanks toApple’s surprising pivot toward interoperability. The tech giant announced that it will be adding support for RCS this year, meaning communication between Android devices and iPhones should go a bit smoother — character limits and low-quality videos will become a thing of the past, for instance. However, telecom companies have their own servers to keepRCScommunication functioning for their customers. Now, Verizon has announced that it’s pivoting away from its own backend system and turning to Google for help.
In an updateposted by Verizonon X (formerly Twitter), the telecom company announced that it will now be using Google Jibe for its RCS messaging backend (via9to5Google). If you haven’t heard of Google Jibe, it’s an RCS hub solution maintained by the Search giant to provide a backbone for the internet-based features offered by the RCS standard. Google keeps Jibe updated with the latest features from the RCS Universal Profile, so in practice, this move should translate to better interoperability between the three major US carriers for the existing RCS service they each offer.
Previously, Verizon’s chief competitors had both moved to Google Jibe for their RCS backends in 2023 —AT&T did it in June, andT-Mobile made the move in September. With Verizon joining the fray, RCS users in the US should enjoy the full suite of Jibe features regardless of which carrier the recipient is using.
At this point, it’s still unclear which backend Apple will use for its RCS implementation on iMessage, or if it will even have a separate backend from what the carriers are using. That being said, there will still be significantly more interoperability than there was before, asApple has confirmed it will be using RCS Universal Profile. Videos and images sent between Android and Apple devices will no longer appear blurry, for example. Typing indicators and read receipts may also likely come into play. However, it’s unclear exactly what the RCS support will look like, and details may only come once Apple introduces it.
What iPhone getting RCS means for Android
We’ll still be in green bubbles, but our pictures shouldn’t be blurry anymore
Many believe that Apple only changed its tune after facing pressure from the European Commission (EC). The EC has accused the company of gatekeeping by steering clear of interoperability and should have to comply with the Digital Markets Act, prohibiting such activities. If you’re an Android device owner who is frequently frustrated by the lack of interoperability, your continuous annoyances could soon come to an end — just don’t be surprised if it doesn’t entirely resolve the blue bubble vs. green bubble teasing from your iPhone-using friends.
