Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories?
X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Texting From Android to iPhone? Google's New Update Might Make It Quirkier

Apple phones will see emoji reactions from Android users as SMS messages.

michaelsorrentino.jpg
michaelsorrentino.jpg
Mike Sorrentino Senior Editor
Mike Sorrentino is a Senior Editor for Mobile, covering phones, texting apps and smartwatches -- obsessing about how we can make the most of them. Mike also keeps an eye out on the movie and toy industry, and outside of work enjoys biking and pizza making.
Expertise Phones, texting apps, iOS, Android, smartwatches, fitness trackers, mobile accessories, gaming phones, budget phones, toys, Star Wars, Marvel, Power Rangers, DC, mobile accessibility, iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, RCS
Mike Sorrentino
2 min read
SMS and MMS reactions in Google Messages

Google's Messages app will soon allow for sending emoji reactions to any phone.

Google

Google has decided to match Apple's energy with its Messages app. The app is getting a series of updates that'll bring its texting function to better parity with Apple's iMessage and Meta's WhatsApp. But one feature, designed to make emoji message reactions more consistent, might be initially annoying for anyone using a non-Android phone or a third-party SMS texting app on Android.

According to a blog post on Thursday, the Messages app will now allow you to reply to any text with an emoji. But when a conversation isn't conducted over RCS -- the texting standard Google uses to provide enhanced features in its Messages app -- it will do that by sending an SMS text that denotes the emoji used while quoting the message the reaction is meant for. This is similar to how the iPhone handles emoji reactions on text messages between iPhone and Android users. 

Google earlier this year added a feature that translates those texts from an iPhone into the appropriate emoji reaction for Android devices. 

Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure
This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

Google's Jan Jedrzejowicz, who serves as product lead on Messages, said at a reporter roundtable that the feature is meant to add consistency to the Messages app rather than blocking the reaction feature from non-RCS conversations entirely. Regarding how the texts could initially appear in Apple's iMessage, Jedrzejowicz said it will be up to Apple to decide whether or not to parse those texts into the appropriate emoji reaction.

Upcoming Messages updates will also bring inline replies to the app, the ability to watch YouTube videos inside of a conversation and proactive suggestions based on texts within a conversation. These suggestions could include setting a reminder if a birthday is mentioned, a suggestion to "star" a message should it include an important detail (like an unlock code for a door) or setting up a Google Meet call if the conversation mentions needing to set up a meeting. These suggestions can be turned off should they feel too intrusive.

Google is also expanding availability for the voice message transcription feature introduced on the Pixel 7. That feature will come to the Pixel 6 line as well as Samsung's Galaxy S22, Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4. 

The Google Messages app will get a new set of icons, which will feature overlapping blue shapes for Messages, Phone and Contacts.

Google will partner with United Airlines to bring free RCS texting to flights over in-flight Wi-Fi. This is similar to other airline offerings, which include free texting over services such as iMessage and WhatsApp.

While several of these features are already common in rival texting apps, they're particularly relevant as Google continues to push Apple to consider adopting the RCS texting standard. RCS is being pitched as a replacement to SMS and MMS since it's able to support features that the older standards can't, including typing indicators, higher-quality photos and message encryption. RCS is largely led by Google, however, and the standard generally isn't available outside of the company's Messages app on Android.