Apple’s Messages app and iMessage messaging service are among the targets of a lawsuit filed Thursday by the US Department of Justice. The DOJ and 16 state attorneys general allege that Apple is using its dominance in the US mobile industry to stifle competition.
Despite the new examination of iMessage, Apple has already announced plans to bring RCS — a much more modern messaging protocol with updated features — for iPhone this year. This is a big step towards bridging the gap between Android and iOS when it comes to cross-platform messaging experience as it would support features like typing indicators, better media sharing and message encryption.
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But until Apple starts shipping those features, Apple’s Messages app remains a big target for both the US government and other private companies like Beeper that are trying to make their own messaging services compatible with iMessage.
Apple usually waits until it launches the next version of iOS in the fall to introduce new cross-compatible features. For example, Apple added the ability to create web-based connections for FaceTime calls with iOS 15, allowing Windows and Android users to join. This suggests we may not hear about Apple’s progress in bringing RCS to the iPhone until June, followed by a potential unveiling in the fall.
But with pressure mounting, Apple can’t afford to wait.
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Government surveillance is already opening up iOS
Before Thursday’s lawsuit, the EU was already pressuring Apple to open up certain aspects of its iOS operating system.
To comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, Apple must enable alternative app stores and digital payment methods on the iPhone. It must also provide a prompt informing users that they can set a different default web browser other than Apple’s Safari. Although these changes are only for the EU, the regulations have led Apple to switch to USB-C for all iPhone 15 models sold abroad.
Apple avoided those iMessage regulations in the EU, possibly because third-party chat apps like WhatsApp have more international acceptance. But with additional scrutiny from the US government, Apple may need to ensure more transparency in how its messaging service works and that it doesn’t hinder competition.
By speeding up support for RCS, Apple could shift its focus away from the currently limited messaging experience between iPhone and Android and instead show how it’s working to change that.
Beeper tried to transfer iMessage to Android, but was turned off by Apple.
Beeper, Nothing and the others try to jump into iMessage
Apple should accelerate the adoption of RCS to bypass external attempts to provide “iMessage for Android”.
While the Beeper Mini and Nothing Chats made headlines for trying to bring iMessage access to Android, both relied on loopholes in Apple’s service. In some cases, you have had to entrust your Apple ID and password to a third party, potentially raising privacy concerns.
Other services like Blue Bubbles used an always-on Mac paired with software to route iMessage texts to an Android device, but even those self-hosted options have their own security risks (along with logistical issues like losing access if your Mac loses power supply).
Apple actively shut down Beeper’s access to iMessage last year, but services continue to arrive to satisfy a desire among Android users who want to text their iPhone friends with modern features like typing indicators and better group chat support. By rushing RCS, Apple could dissuade people from seeking these services and in turn deal with fewer security threats on its iMessage network.
Apple has some of its apps linked to other services, like the Phone app.
Apple could borrow Beeper’s new blueprint for opening Messages
In addition to accelerating its RCS efforts, Apple could borrow Beeper’s strategy to make the Messages app a hub for other messaging apps.
The new Beeper app, currently in beta, will be a hub for non-Apple messaging services. Texts from WhatsApp, Signal and even Slack would allegedly arrive in one application and retain their encryption. I haven’t beta tested Beeper yet, but I was an active user of Trillian, which combined the instant messaging apps I used as a teenager (AIM, MSN, and Yahoo messengers).
Apple already does this to some extent. Apple’s Phone app shows calls from multiple services, so if you want to start a video call with a WhatsApp friend, you can do so from the Recents list.
Apple wouldn’t have to display texts from other services inside messages. A simple notification from the Messages app and an indicator that the conversation is happening on WhatsApp would be enough — which, if tapped, would take you to the appropriate app.
When should we actually expect RCS
As much as I’d like to see RCS on the iPhone now, the reality is that Apple will likely stick to its traditional product timelines. We might see details and an early beta version of RCS at WWDC in June. If that’s the case, a public unveiling would likely follow this fall as part of iOS 18 and the much-rumored iPhone 16 lineup.
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