Messaging between Android and iOS just got a little better. Apple has finally allowed rappers with the best Android phones to send message reactions to iPhone users (via The Verge). This means that iPhone users will be able to communicate with lowly green bubble types via RCS, and emoji reactions will appear in the associated messages.

Text communication between Android and iPhone has never been particularly great. Images and video were compressed more than a soda can in the Mariana Trench, and smart features did not function properly.

That is why the addition of RCS messaging to the iPhone was a big deal. While this may not have been the immediate switch that some had hoped for, it paves the way for further improvements to the cross-platform messaging experience. This includes making sure that message reactions actually work and not dropping emojis on different lines.

According to The Verge, Reactions works on iOS 18.1 and different Android phones. Previously, RCS messages only featured correct reactions on the Android side, but something has changed somewhere. We don't know who is involved in this or what they did, but that doesn't matter.

The more improved RCS messaging between iPhone and Android, the better for everyone. Expect more improvements and refinements in the near future. Since emoji reactions are part of RCS version 2.7, The Verge notes that there should also be an option to edit sent messages. However, it does not appear to be active at this time.

Needless to say, improvements are needed, especially encryption. Given the fact that Apple's historical excuse for ignoring RCS was due to privacy concerns and the fact that they promised to make Android/iPhone messaging more secure, the continued lack of end-to-end encryption is quite strange.

Just don't expect these green bubbles to go anywhere; no matter how much Android-to-iPhone messaging improves, the green bubbles will not disappear.