Google Messages update allowing iPhone reactions to appear as emoji has started rolling out
Reactions sent from iMessages to Google Messages will show an appropriate emoji on the screen
According to 9to5Google, the update has slowly been rolling out. Screenshots provided by Twitter user jvolkman (@jvolkman) show that reactions sent from an iPhone user resulted in the appearance of the same emoji showing up in Google Messages as though the reaction was sent from an Android user messaging from the RCS platform. Tapping on the reaction on an Android phone shows that it was “Translated from iPhone.”
RCS or Rich Communication Service is Google’s attempt to provide the iMessages experience for Android users. Instead of using a cellular network, RCS runs through the data network which means that it can be used on Wi-Fi even if there is no internet connection. Because RCS uses a data connection, messages can contain as many as 8,000 characters as opposed to the 160 character cap on SMS.
Google is reportedly testing a feature that will show a pop up when a person you’re messaging on RCS is celebrating a birthday
With the update beginning to roll out now, you might want to give a call to one of your iPhone wielding friends and ask them to react to a message that you send them. If you see an emoji attached to that message, the update has reached your Android phone (assuming that you are using the Google Messages app in the first place). If not, you can reinstall the Google Messages app from the Play Store and check with your friend again to see whether the emoji appear when your buddy sends a reaction to a message that you’ve sent.
