Text communications between iOS and Android users has historically proven more often than not problematic. However, new modifications are facilitating communication between the two platforms. After years of Google trying to convince Apple to adopt the new communications standard, RCS, the company is finally doing so.
Users on both systems can share high-quality media, be “seen” when messages are read, and detect typing activity thanks to RCS. However, up until now, there hasn’t been a way to alter messages sent from an Android device to an iPhone. According to Android Authority, some Android users are now starting to notice it.
Apple recently added RCS support
For over a year, editing messages has been possible for Android-to-Android chats using RCS and iPhone-to-iPhone chats using iMessage. Because message editing was not included in the official RCS standard, Universal Profile 2.4, this feature was not available between iOS and Android. The standard was embraced by Apple, but this resulted in cross-platform conversations lacking the edit option.
The GSM Association published Universal Profile 3.0 earlier this year, which includes end-to-end encryption and message editing. As a result, if the iPhones are running iOS 18.5 or later, including the iOS 26 beta, some Android users can now edit messages sent to iPhone users.
It operates by requiring modifications to be performed within a 15-minute interval. Since Apple’s Messages app does not yet fully support this feature, the updated message appears on iPhones as a new message with an asterisk.
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