The rivalry between iPhone and Android messaging is about to get a lot more interesting. Thanks to recent changes to RCS (Rich Communication Services), iPhone users will soon be able to edit, delete, and recall messages sent to Android users—and vice versa.
These improvements are a result of the Universal Profile 2.7, which is expected to enhance the compatibility between Apple’s iMessage and Android’s messaging systems.
A new beta version of Google Messages already hints at features like “Delete for me” and “Delete for everyone,” allowing users to delete a message from both the sender’s and recipient’s devices.
The new features, which also include message editing and the ability to react to messages with emojis or other symbols, should make cross-platform communication a lot smoother. But to make these features work, both Apple and Google will need to adopt the Universal Profile 2.7.
While there’s no official release date yet, the fact that Google Messages is already working on supporting these features suggests we might see them soon.
This update, which was initially made possible by the GSMA Association in June 2024, represents a major step toward a more unified messaging experience between iPhone and Android.
With reactions to messages no longer needing manual conversions and threaded replies keeping the context intact, the messaging experience will feel more cohesive and user-friendly than ever.
For those who’ve had to deal with the infamous green bubble versus blue bubble issue, these upgrades might finally help bridge the gap!