Earlier than Google’s “Get The Message” marketing campaign in August, Android’s Messages app was up to date with iMessage reactions at the beginning of this 12 months. In a really bizarre flip of occasions, Apple seems to be taking credit score for Google including iMessage reactions on Android.
As spotted by David Imel immediately, Apple’s iOS 16 “All New Options” web page lists the next addition for the Messages app:
SMS Tapbacks on Android
React to SMS messages with a Tapback, and a corresponding emoji response will seem on recipients’ Android units.
That textual content was added to the web page lately, presumably with the launch of iOS 16 earlier this month. It was not listed throughout the iOS 16 preview cycle over the summer time.
In late January, Google introduced that its Messages app would convert iMessage reactions (referred to as “Tapbacks“) that iPhone customers can ship. As an alternative of them showing as an annoying textual content (e.g., Cherished “Testing” within the instance under), it will get translated and seems within the nook of the message bubble, much like the iPhone-to-iPhone expertise.
Apple seems to be taking credit score for Google including iMessage reactions to Android’s Messages app in a slightly odd determination that’s not factual. Whereas Apple’s description is reflective of the tip person expertise, iMessage reactions on Android usually are not the results of the iPhone’s new working system or something Apple did/contributed. This characteristic was rolled out throughout the iOS 15 period, and it’s not accessible for all Android SMS/RCS apps, simply Google’s default shopper.
One doable clarification is that Apple’s advertising and marketing copy is conflating that Google characteristic with an analogous one added by iOS 16. If an iPhone proprietor is in a gaggle chat with Android and different iOS customers, all messages are despatched by way of SMS, as a substitute of iMessage. Earlier than iOS 16, Tapbacks could be despatched as SMS. In these circumstances, iOS 16 now, like Google, converts Tapbacks for iPhone customers in order that simply the emoji seems. Nevertheless, if that’s the characteristic Apple is describing – it doesn’t seem on the web page – the copy wouldn’t want to say Android.
This in fact follows Tim Cook dinner’s “I don’t hear our customers asking that we put a variety of power on that” assertion on RCS for iPhone earlier this month.
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