Google, which has long advocated RCS messaging, has now started using the Play Store to promote it to Apple users. A new card in the Play Store’s side-scrolling carousel explains the benefits of RCS and how it’s already enabled by default in the Google Messages app.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably caught at least part of Google’s ongoing campaign to influence Apple’s stance on RCS and its refusal to integrate it into its existing iMessage
app. The pressure campaign began last year and has taken many forms, from subtle hints on Twitter/X to entire
websites dedicated to getting Apple loyalists to join the fight.
However, none of these efforts were successful. Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly said “Buy your mother an
iPhone” to those questioning his decision not to adopt the messaging standard that is seen as the successor to SMS and MMS, saying he This is not a feature. its users have been asking for it – for as long as iMessage has existed. However, Google has not abandoned its efforts and was even recently joined by
Samsung on this subject.
In a new effort to convince Apple to adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS), Google has placed
an ad for RCS on the Play Storeas spotted
Android Font. The map, however, is only visible on the web version of it, which is more easily accessible on operating systems where the Play Store app is not available, namely iOS, macOS and Windows. This suggests that
Google is targeting Apple users with its RCS promotion.
RCS announcement on the web version of the Google Play Store
The Play Store announcement for RCS is a comprehensive article that explains the benefits of RCS and how it is already enabled by default in the Google Messages app. The ad is a relatively recent addition, with the oldest copy of the webpage being created on October 2, 2023 and placed in a prominent location on the Play Store website.
It remains to be seen whether Google’s latest attempt to promote RCS to Apple users will be successful. However, it’s clear that the company is determined to see RCS become the standard messaging platform for everyone.
