Android users can finally edit messages sent to iPhones, but there are limitations. Google is beginning to roll out this long-awaited feature, made possible by the new Universal Profile 3.0 specification. Users can now long-press a sent message to edit and resend it within a 15-minute time frame. However, as this feature is still in testing, edited messages appear as new messages on iPhones, and iPhone users cannot edit messages sent to Android devices.
Historically, texting between Android and iOS has been problematic. The introduction of Rich Communication Services (RCS) has significantly improved this experience by enabling features like high-quality media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators. While some features were missing last year during the initial launch of cross-platform RCS, Google and Apple are working to implement them gradually. The recent rollout now allows Android users to edit messages originally sent to iPhones.
Previously, iPhone users could edit their iMessages, and Android users had enjoyed this feature among themselves for about a year. However, when this feature was first introduced by Google, it was not part of the official RCS specification. Apple’s initial implementation adhered to the official standard at the time, which did not include message editing for cross-platform communications. The new Universal Profile 3.0 introduced earlier this year supports both message editing and end-to-end encryption.
As of now, several users, including myself, can edit RCS messages sent to iPhones running the latest version of iOS. While the editing function works well for Android users, the iPhone interface does not yet handle these changes seamlessly. As of now, the ability to edit RCS messages isn’t widely available, with Google likely conducting A/B testing. Many users may have to be patient for a broader release of this capability, as full support for message editing alongside end-to-end encryption is anticipated.
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