It's bewildering to me how this continues to be an issue only in the US, the rest of the world figured out this problem around 2010, and I'm not kidding. It's like you guys are still arguing about Beta vs VHS in 2023

Green texts are the worst mostly because (I’m convinced) apple has programmed Messages to intentionally lose them to make group texts with android users a nightmare to deal with, in an attempt at social pressure on android users to get an iPhone.

They are wildly inconsistent in their delivery success. Often times texts will either never go through to some members of the group or go through at random times. Also sent videos are always horribly compressed. Obvious solution would be to use a third party messaging app but but convincing everyone to do that is usually a nonstarter.

What it is though is green texts are just sms messages, which is the original text message protocol that uses cellular infrastructure to deliver the message. Blue texts are sent via the Messages app over the internet so they are likely just more reliable and quick to deliver.

In my experience, no, especially outside of the US.

In many places/countries, there are more android than iphone users. This is especially true in developing countries, but also some developed ones too. It's not uncommon for everyone in these areas to use alternative messaging platform like whatsapp, telegram, or line, so there was barely any difference between android and iphone.

So it's barely a deal-breaker, at least, in this scenario.

I have the opposite problem... I have family members and friends try to send me pictures and videos from their iPhone's over SMS ALL the time.

They are, like, 40 pixels wide and in the case of video they are literally unwatchable and unidentifiable.

They usually then act put out and irritated with me and the other android users when we need to ask for a link instead. IPhone users can sometimes be such complete idiots... I love these people, but Jesus Christ, guys...

Maybe it's a US vs Europe thing but as a European, most messaging (for better or worse, probably worse since it's Meta) is done via whatsapp, where messages appear the same for iPhone and Android users, if somebody messages me through SMS I'd probably think it was a scam or they're really old, no-one I know uses SMS anymore.

This is mainly an issue in the United States and Canada.

Is this actually a deal-breaker in friendships out there?

I think this is one of the most ridiculous, cringe-worthy things I have read in a long ass time.

I also have to say that I have no idea how anyone puts up with iphones. I have both and the iphone experience from a UI perspective is just awful. Yeah, the screen is nice, the battery life is good, the camera is excellent, but holy crap is this phone infuriating to use. You can get Android phones with just as nice hardware, but then you don't need to deal with that terrible iOS user interface. How is this such a popular device, I will never understand it.

Also, why the FUCK is the iphone so goddamn heavy?! It is smaller than my Samsung and noticeably heavier in my pocket. Just everything about this device is annoying.

Texting images between android and ios is fundamentally broken. Images are compressed to potato quality and did mot always make it. When i had android i sent images in messenger and texted in sms to ios folks. Its a lot easier now were all on ios.

So I absolutely understand its simpler to just 100% use a different app.

I can make my chat bubbles be whatever color I want. My brother-in-law sometimes gives me lighthearted shit for being the green bubble or whatever in the chat but like, hey man you're the one who put yourself in a walled garden, I don't see it on my end.

If you live anywhere outside of the US, the question is irrelevant, because everyone uses whatsapp etc.

Within the US, if you are over the age of 30, it probably doesn't matter.

if you are under the age of 30 AND in the US, I mean, if someone does judge you for it, you at least have a great way to filter shitty people out of your life lol.

It's not a strict deal breaker for me, I use an Android myself. But I will definitely preach to people the differences between Apple and Android, because in the US there is a vast divide and for some reason they think that it's a status symbol to have an Apple device, and they will boast like it's some great thing. It's super fun to pull up the hardware specs and show them that my phone Beats there new iPhone in almost every category. Then I end it with saying that both systems have ups and down, apples biggest Pro is going to be their interface, but if you are a techie or want actual control over the phone itself stick with Android. Most of the "incompatibilities" between the two systems, are Apple generated, meaning that they've gone out of the way in some way to actively forbid it. Bluetooth is a perfect example of this, Apple devices support it for audio transfer and Airdrop uses Bluetooth for its transfer medium, but you can't transfer files strictly over Bluetooth because the functionality has been intentionally removed to allow the walled garden state.

Just use a service that works on both android and iOS such as Signal.

I don't care what phone you have, but if you have an iPhone, I will assume you are an idiot by default until proven otherwise.

This is more of a US centric problem, in other countries this hasn't been really a problem as everyone is using WhatsApp/Line/Telegram to communicate. More younger people are actually using discord to text with each other. I think this issue will get less relevant as time goes on.

Most of the people that I know who have Iphones do for family chat or teens and college age because everyone in their circle does.

But IPhone owners have no call to be looking down on android users.

Some of the greatest apps, PowerAmp and Photo Studio Pro do not have iPhone versions. Also IPhone runs behind Samsung in innovation. I mean IPhone finally added widgets but the functionality on IPhone pales in comparison to Android.

Also can't change defaults in IPhone for launcher, music, dialer, and pretty much everything except, browser, and email.

I could never own an IPhone because they think they know best for users. With Android I have autonomy over my device.

Some areas of this country do not get reliable cell signal that is where an FM tuner can still receive emergency alerts but no not IPhone because they disallow their customer base from having and essentially force their power users to utilize their cloud services because once again they fail to offer expandable storage as an option. Shaping their own market but it essentially is anti consumer.

Despite these things Apple is relatively successful with these business decisions (especially in the US) but Samsung Ultra has eclipsed the IPhone Pro with the 23 version and IOS is still playing catch up with Android.

Most of the world uses WhatsApp, and it does not matter if you have iPhone or Android. Are you in the USA? I hear it is the only country where people use apple messages so much that it matters.

One of my acquaintances started a fairly large group text thread recently. Somewhere along the way someone said, "Who's the android user in here ruining everything?" I never said anything in the thread, so I felt like I was in the corner of a crowded room wearing a disguise about to be exposed.

I was also pretty annoyed. Like, what's it matter? Texts are for text. Text works fine.

Only for idiots.

i only use android. if someone disciminate you ofr a stupid bubbles color. wth you do with that person???

Lmao

For stupid or vain people, maybe. And only in countries where people send SMS anyway.

I haven't used SMS actively ever, because as soon as smartphones got popular, everyone moved to Facebook, and then later I got my friends to move to Telegram if they wanted to keep talking to me.

It may sound weird, but your choice of phone does say something about you. I have to say I am dismayed when I see an iPhone in someone's hand. I may understand their reasons, but still. I can imagine it works the other way around too.

I mean, to take it to the extreme: I remember a Reddit debate about a married couple, where the husband was an open source, anti-corporate advocate, and the wife wanted to fill their house with Amazon Alexa speakers.

20 years ago, your choice of brand for TV or camera wouldn't matter much, but now it can indeed be a big deal.

In my country, nobody uses imessage, just whatsapp.

iPhone user here. Not a dealbreaker, but I can explain why some people may want to switch platforms. Blue bubble iMessages go out over the Internet--wifi, cell data, whatever. Green bubbles need cell signal and go over the cell network as an SMS, Blue bubbles can go out over cell network (via data), but they also can go out via wifi.

For me this means green bubbles cause a couple issues:

• Many places I go do not have cell coverage. Sometimes its a dead area because of mountains, sometimes its an office building that is too thick. In both cases, iMessage blue bubbles still work. Green bubbles do not.
• When I travel internationally I might not purchase an International plan. But you can bet the hotel I am staying at and most bars/restaurants I can go to have wifi. This means I can still communicate without buying a SIM card or purchasing a data plan. FURTHER, even if I did purchase a SIM card, now we are talking international SMS messages which cost a ton.

Now not a dealbreaker. I just move those conversations to Whatapp, Messenger, Line, KakaoTalk, whatever. It's not a big deal. And definitely not a dealbreaker. If it's a dealbreaker for someone that should be a red flag.

I can still be friends with someone even if they did choose the wrong phone ;) /s

The heck are blue bubbles? Is this post about some fancy soap?

It's only a deal breaker for children and those who have the mental development of a child. It's basically two children on the playground arguing that their personal favorite colour is better just because.

It logically and practically does not matter at all what colour a fucking text bubble is.

I have a friend who said he was left out of a lot of group chat with his roommates because he was the green bubble. He switched to iPhone and they still were meeting up without him.

That’s when he realized it was him, not the color of his bubble…

I can't stand iOS or any of Apples' faux premium nonsense. Everything is clunky and unintuitive to me and I just want something that works without having to jump through hoops all the time. Android isn't perfect but it's a lot more functional

Signal is my preferred messenger right now since I convinced my contacts to move to it. Collects the least and it is private.

There is also Session which is a Signal fork that removes phone number linking.

Matrix for a privacy focused federated messaging system is another option.