Lately, Apple has had to deal with quite a few demands from the EU. But now Apple does not have to comply with certain EU rules. What about that?
Apple does not have to comply with EU rules
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) from the European Union, which came into effect on November 1, 2022, requires companies such as Apple to open their services and platforms to other developers. The DMA will have a major impact on Apple’s platforms and it could lead to Apple making major changes to the App Store, Messages, FaceTime, Siri, and more.
It was assumed that Apple will soon have to open the Messages app to other platforms. Then, for example, WhatsApp can work together with the Messages app. Yet it seems that Apple doesn’t necessarily have to do that. The news site Bloomberg says that the chat service is simply not popular enough among business users. This means that Apple does not have to open Messages to other services.
What does this mean for RCS at Messages?
There have been rumors before that Apple will soon switch Messages to RCS (rich communications services) thanks to the new EU rules. It is not known whether this new rumor means that Apple will ultimately not have to do that. It would be a shame, because RCS offers quite a few advantages. This new way of texting makes sending messages between iPhone and Android much easier.
While you are currently limited to a maximum length of 160 characters in a message, with RCS you have much more freedom. With this new standard you have almost all the options that you currently have with iMessage and WhatsApp. So you can also send photos and videos via SMS from an iPhone to Android, without needing WhatsApp. This changes even more!
It is therefore not yet certain what exactly Apple will have to change according to the EU rules. But do you want to stay informed of this and all other Apple news? Please sign up for our daily/weekly newsletter. Additionally, download the free iphoned app and keep an eye on our website.