Android Users Can Soon Add Emoji Reactions to iPhone Texts With Annoying Catch

Thursday October 20, 2022 9:11 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Google today announced that Android users will be able to add emoji reactions to SMS texts received from iPhone users in Google's Messages app. This feature and other improvements to the app will begin rolling out in the coming weeks.

Given that the Messages app on iOS lacks support for the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol, emoji reactions from Android users will appear as annoying follow-up SMS text messages on the iPhone, according to CNET. For example, the message will say something along the lines of "Joe reacted with Heart to 'let's go to the movies tonight.'"

Google's head of its Messages app Jan Jedrzejowicz told CNET that it will be up to Apple to decide whether or not to parse those texts into the appropriate Tapback reaction on the iPhone, similar to how Tapbacks now appear properly on Android.

The feature seems to be at least partly an attempt at Google encouraging Apple to support RCS on the iPhone, as this would eliminate the annoying follow-up SMS messages. Google launched a campaign earlier this year pushing for Apple to adopt RCS, but Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested the feature has not been highly requested by iPhone users.

Tags: Android, Google

Popular Stories

Google Maps Updated to Fully Support iPhone Duo Displays

Wednesday November 4, 2026 4:24 am PST by Tim Hardwick

Google Maps has been updated with improved support for the iPhone Duo's displays, so that the app now fills the foldable iPhone's inner and outer screens rather than leaving unused space along the edge. The change comes with version 26.44.4, which is available on the App Store. Google doesn't mention Duo-specific changes in its release notes, but the updated support is plainly visible....

• 13 comments

General App Store South Korea Feature Feature

South Korea Rules Against Apple Over App Store Payment Rules

Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:00 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

South Korea has fined Apple 20.8 billion won ($15.5 million) and ordered it to let developers link to external payment options from their apps, The Associated Press reports. The Korea Media and Communications Commission found that Apple and Google effectively require developers to use their payment systems, violating a 2021 law intended to allow alternatives. Google was fined 42.9 billion...

• 20 comments

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by Juli Clover

When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...

• 65 comments

Top Rated Comments

fwmireault

53 months ago

I know it’s a very unpopular opinion here, but all of the efforts in the past year to improve text communications between iPhones and android have been made by Google, and it is a shame that Apple is doing nothing on their end. Don’t know if RCS is the necessary answer, but it is as terrible for android and iPhone users to have all this mismatch in features and functionalities

Downvote that all you want, this is what I really think, and I will certainly not defend Apple on that

Score: 73 Votes (Like | Disagree)

sw1tcher

53 months ago

I have major trust issues with Android phones. Hopefully, Google will not collect any data from iPhone users.

If Apple is okay with making Google the default search engine on their devices and Apple cares so much about our privacy, then that means Google is safe, right?

You need to trust Apple's deci$ion$. Apple knows what's be$t for us them.

Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)

MallardDuck

53 months ago

Why would Apple invest any time and money supporting a proprietary google fork of RCS, especially when google's commitment to a technology lasts about as long as a civil conversation on social media?

Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Joe Rossignol

53 months ago

iMessage already does the exact same thing to an Android user.
When ever an iMessage user likes a message from an android user, it does the exact same thing. Sends a separate text message that the reader like your text.

I don't really see a problem here. Android users get the same response in SMS when I like their message. Maybe rather than fighting, we could just get the two companies to work together to not hurt consumers?

That's not true anymore actually. Google fixed it earlier this year: