Will green bubbles still exist after iMessage gets RCS? Apple gives an answer

TL;DR

Apple has confirmed that green bubbles will still be used for Android users in iMessage.
This comes after Apple revealed that it will adopt RCS messaging in 2024.

Apple made major tech headlines earlier today when it revealed that it would finally adopt the RCS messaging standard in iMessage. That means iPhones and Android devices will be able to text each other properly with modern messaging features.

Will Apple still use green bubbles and blue bubbles to differentiate between Android and Apple devices, though? We posed this question to the company earlier today but didn’t receive a response. However, the firm has now dished out an answer to 9to5Mac.

Green bubbles are here to stay

Apple confirmed to the outlet that it’ll still use green text bubbles to denote Android users in iMessage, while Apple devices will stick with blue bubbles.

This admittedly makes sense as Android devices won’t actually be getting full iMessage functionality in the first place. So Apple would still need to somehow differentiate between the two platforms. However, it does suggest that green bubble bullying won’t necessarily disappear overnight.

RCS support is nevertheless a big step in the right direction for iMessage. The modern texting protocol brings features like typing indicators, high-quality media sharing, location functionality, and more. So texting between Android and iPhones should still be a more convenient experience.