But iMessage is already open? You can send an SMS to any number and it shows in iMessage, completely interoperable through that standard protocol.

Whatsapp on the other hand does not show SMS messages (Which is a design choice that makes sense from a security perspective I guess, not saying it's wrong.)

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kelnos 7 hours ago | parent | next [-]

You're confusing two different things, though I don't blame you for it, as it is confusing. "iMessage" is the OTT E2E-encrypted chat protocol. "Messages" note the lack of the leading "i" and trailing "s") is an iOS app that lets you send and receive messages using both the iMessage and SMS/MMS/RCS protocols.

iMessage is not open, and Apple fights efforts by other companies (e.g. Beeper) to interoperate with it.

	▲	TZubiri 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Ok then, Apple's Messages is interoperable, as you can communicate via SMS with its users.

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cheema33 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> But iMessage is already open?

How do you send/receive messages from a Windows system? My guess is that you think iMessage is SMS-only.

	▲	TZubiri 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		>How do you send/receive messages from a Windows system? You can send an SMS. >My guess is that you think iMessage is SMS-only No, there's Apple's proprietary protocol, that you can only use on Apple devices. But from non Apple devices you can use the standard SMS.

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nottorp 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> You can send an SMS to any number

Can you send a photo?

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blell 4 hours ago | parent [-]

Yes, through MMS or RCS.

	▲	hocuspocus 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		So, no. MMS is increasingly being discontinued in several regions, and RCS support is extremely patchy worldwide, especially on iOS.