A major redesign of iMessage could be on the horizon.
According to a sketchy rumor from Majin Bu on Twitter, Apple is working on a major redesign and enhancement to iMessage. The account says that a "resource" tells the leaker that the new version of iMessage will feature a new home screen, chat rooms, video clips, and even new chat features in augmented reality.
The leaker goes further to say that the new version of iMessage will launch alongside the company's rumored augmented reality headset.
According with my resource, Apple is working on a new version of iMessage completely renewed. New home, chat rooms, video clips, and new chat features in AR. It should be released next year along with the new headset.
According with my resource, Apple is working on a new version of iMessage completely renewed. New home, chat rooms, video clips, and new chat features in AR. It should be released next year along with the new headset #Apple #AppleAR #iMessage pic.twitter.com/Wp2WT8apNXOctober 14, 2022
Could a new iMessage mean RCS support?
It's currently unclear how valid the rumor is. Majin Bu has a mixed track record when it comes to the Apple rumor mill so far, so we'll have to take this one (as with any rumor) with a grain of salt.
If Apple is working on a new version of iMessage, there's one big question that I'm sure many of us are wondering and it doesn't have to do with an app redesign, chat rooms, and an AR experience. It's if the new version of iMessage, as Google has been screaming about for years, will support RCS.
During Google I/O 2022, the company really took the gloves off and launched a campaign called #GetTheMessage to push Apple to adopt the new messaging standard:
"We hope that every mobile operating system gets the message, and upgrades to RCS, so your messages are private, no matter what device you're using."
RCS is a big upgrade over SMS, enabling longer messages, higher-quality multimedia sharing, message reactions, and end-to-end encryption. It would be a game changer for people communicating between Android and iOS.
WWDC 2023 will kick off in June of 2023 so, as crazy as it seems, we're only eight months away from finding out if the rumors brought forth today actually turn out to be true.
