If you're an Apple user then you're probably all too familiar with the dreaded green message. The green text bubble indicates that you're texting with someone who either has iMessage off or is operating on a non-Apple phone – but now Google wants to do something about it.
Google has launched an entire campaign to combat the green bubble shame by calling out Apple to "Get the Message". While some Apple users think the alternative bubble colour is a genius marketing ploy to shame Android users into buying an iPhone, others are fed up with the guilty green. If the green bubble has gotten the better of you already, then why not check out our roundup of the best iPhone 13 deals? Or if you'd rather make the switch to Android to combat Apple's mind games, then have a look at our roundup of the best Samsung Galaxy S21 deals.
Google and Android have released a new website that points out to Apple the problem with the green texts. According to the website, "Apple turns texts between iPhones and Android phones into SMS and MMS, out-of-date technologies from the 90s and 00s".
To solve the issue, Google is encouraging Apple to adopt RCS, which it claims is the industry standard for texting threads. Apparently, by not using RCS, it means that images send from Android to Apple end up being pixelated, the texts are less secure, you can't send texts via Wifi and means you can't see whether a friend has seen or is replying to your texts.
Are you team Apple or Android? (Image credit: Future)
And while it certainly is annoying for both ends to text from two different devices, it does seem like a clever marketing ploy from Apple. By making iMessage only available to Apple users, it creates a sense of exclusivity that some users will pay good money to be a part of.
The Apple vs Android feud has been going on for many many years now and it doesn't look like it'll be ending any time soon, with the green bubble-gate kicking things off again. One user tweeted, "It's perhaps one of the best marketing campaigns I've seen. Apple convinces its user base to blame Android users for the problem that's Apple's fault," and another said, "Having trouble reading that text? It’s not because of your Android friend—it’s because Apple needs to fix it". But what side are you on?
Only time will tell whether Apple will take on board Android's advice, but knowing Apple I can't imagine it'll change any time soon but it could surprise us and drop RCS texting along with the highly anticipated iPhone 14 in September.
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Amelia is Creative Bloq’s Staff Writer. After completing a degree in Popular Music and a Master’s in Song Writing, Amelia began designing posters, logos, album covers and websites for musicians. She now enjoys covering a range of topics on Creative Bloq, including posters, optical illusions, logos (she's a particular fan of logo Easter eggs), gaming and illustration. In her free time, she relishes in the likes of art (especially the Pre-Raphaelites), photography and literature. Amelia prides herself on her unorthodox creative methods, her Animal Crossing island and her extensive music library.
