Apple's iPhone and Android devices are starting to get along using at least four clever tricks. Despite the strained relationship, the two phones have become more compatible with new features that improve communication between devices, including the Tapback messaging feature that provides a quick and easy way to reply to a message.
Tapbacks have been available since it was released in conjunction with iOS 10 in 2016 .
Whether they are intended to indicate excitement with a double exclamation point or put soft shadows on a thumbs-up relationship, Tapbacks are part of the digital discourse of iPhone users.
When an iPhone user responds to an Android user using Tapback , it will bump into the Android user's feed with a separate, nonsensical message .
Google has announced that the Android processor will translate Apple's Tapback into a precise emoji attached to the bottom right of the message .
In addition to facilitating the feedback feature, Google offers high-quality video-to-messaging exchange between devices.
Videos sent to an iPhone user from an Android phone are notoriously blurry, and TechCrunch argues that keeping it that way is Apple's deliberate strategy to keep customers spending iMoney on their iProducts .
The iPhone does not support Rich Communication Services (RCS) , which is a better descendant of Wi-Fi-encrypted SMS .
This is what turns non- iPhone messages into green instead of blue, and makes shared non- iPhone videos low-resolution .
But Google is working on bringing images to the messaging system so that a video link can be shared and viewed in HD even if it's an exchange across devices .
Android is also emulating the iPhone 's alert feature , which re-notifies users of a message they haven't answered .
While the iPhone rings again if the message is not opened after two minutes, Android will remind users of "messages you may have forgotten to reply to" or "messages you may need to follow up ."
Android can now play YouTube videos on the messaging platform, replacing the associated long URL with an obscure thumbnail .
iPhone users have long enjoyed the ability to watch entire YouTube videos without leaving the iMessage app .