Android customers can lastly edit messages despatched to iPhones, however there is a catch

For years, textual content messaging between Android and iOS was a horrible expertise, however that has just lately modified due to Wealthy Communication Providers (RCS). This new messaging normal dramatically improves texting between iPhones and Androids by enabling options like high-quality media sharing, learn receipts, and typing indicators. Whereas sure options had been lacking when cross-platform RCS launched final yr, Google and Apple are step by step introducing them. As an example, the power to edit a message despatched from an Android telephone to an iPhone is now lastly beginning to roll out.

iPhone customers have lengthy been in a position to edit iMessages despatched to different iPhones, and Android customers have loved the identical functionality for a couple of yr when utilizing RCS to message one another. Nevertheless, when Google first launched this function on Android, it wasn’t a part of the official RCS specification. Since Apple primarily based its implementation on the official normal on the time (Common Profile 2.4) that didn’t outline message enhancing, the function was unavailable for cross-platform chats.

That modified earlier this yr when the GSM Affiliation launched the Common Profile 3.0 specification, which provides help for each message enhancing and end-to-end encryption. Over the previous week, a number of customers, together with myself, have gained the power to edit RCS messages despatched to iPhone customers. After sending a message, I can long-press it to disclose a pencil icon. Tapping this icon fills the reply field with the unique textual content, permitting me to edit and resend it.

This function works for me when sending RCS messages to iPhone customers working the newest steady launch of iOS 18.5 and the iOS 26 beta, in particular person and group chats, throughout the 15-minute window that presently exists for Android-to-Android and iPhone-to-iPhone message enhancing.

Whereas it appears and features as anticipated on the Android aspect, the edited message presently seems on the iPhone as a brand new message preceded by an asterisk. Moreover, iPhone customers aren’t in a position to edit RCS messages they ship to Android customers. Apple will seemingly must replace its Messages app to deal with RCS message enhancing correctly, although there’s no phrase on when which may occur. We hope full help for message enhancing will arrive alongside the cross-platform end-to-end encryption function that Apple and Google pledged to help earlier this yr.

The power to edit RCS messages despatched to iPhone customers isn’t broadly accessible but in Google Messages. I’ve solely seen two different stories of the function rolling out: one from a Reddit person final week and one other from considered one of my followers as we speak. Google is probably going A/B testing this with beta customers, so most individuals will most likely have to attend for a wider launch.