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2025-05-14 10:34:21 ·

10 hidden Apple Watch features you’ve probably never used–but should
Macworld
For many people, the Apple Watch is primarily a fitness tracker and an extension to the iPhone.
It conveniently mirrors iOS notifications, calls, and messages, letting users stay updated without taking their phones out.
What a lot of wearers don’t know, though, is how powerful and feature-packed watchOS really is, and how much your smartwatch can accomplish.

Below are ten Apple Watch perks you’re probably unfamiliar with.
Timely gate access
If you’re a watchOS user, chances are you’re already relying on Apple Pay to quickly make payments from your wrist.
Similarly, the Apple Watch automatically syncs compatible tickets whenever you add them to the Wallet app on iOS.
This lets you enter venues and board planes by double-clicking the side button and scanning the QR code on the smartwatch’s display.
But what if your favorite gym, cinema, or airline doesn’t officially offer Apple Wallet cards for purchased tickets or memberships?
Fortunately, you can manually create an Apple Watch card using any QR code.
Simply download the Wallet Creator app on your iPhone, create the card, and add it to the Wallet app on iOS.
In a few seconds, the newly created card should also appear on your Apple Watch when you double-click its side button.
This spares you from digging through your emails or third-party apps whenever you need to cross compatible gates.

Mahmoud Itani / Foundry
Timeless texter
It’s no secret that cellular-enabled Apple Watches can independently make calls and send texts.
But did you know that regular Wi-Fi models can also do that, even when your iPhone is off or in a different location? As you’d expect, there are some requirements and limits, but it’s doable.
The first and main condition is having Wi-Fi access.
You can connect to any (unknown) network by inputting its password in the Settings app on watchOS.
Once connected, you can send and receive iMessages and make FaceTime audio calls right from your wrist.
This is especially helpful during emergencies if your iPhone dies or gets stolen.
Speaking of iMessage, you can also use the Digital Touch applet in the Messages app on watchOS to send your actual heartbeat to a contact.
Just place two fingers on the display, then swipe them down to send.
If the recipient is also a watchOS user, their Apple Watch’s haptic feedback will mimic your heartbeat to replicate your pulse.
It’s a cute, lesser-known way for couples to communicate.
Web browser in disguise
Another hidden Messages feature is the built-in web view that provides a basic Safari experience on watchOS.
All you have to do is iMessage yourself a link, then open it on your Apple Watch.
The feature also supports the Reader perk, which presents articles neatly and hides distracting items.

Reading articles on a smartwatch’s tiny display is unlikely to become a regular habit, but it could come in handy in certain situations.
Reincarnated iPod shuffle
You probably already use your Apple Watch’s native Now Playing app to control the music streaming on your iPhone.
However, many users miss out on watchOS’s native playback perk.
Simply pair AirPods or third-party Bluetooth headphones to your smartwatch, and stream directly from Apple Music if you have an internet connection.

For offline listening, both Apple Music and Spotify support downloading playlists to the wearable’s local storage, letting you leave your iPhone behind.
This makes it possible to run outdoors with just your Apple Watch and a pair of wireless earbuds.

Mahmoud Itani / Foundry
The TV remote you’ll never lose
watchOS also offers a native Remote app that lets you fully control your Apple TV.
Even on this miniature screen, the interface manages to fit all of the main buttons, letting you switch apps, go back, navigate, control the volume, and more.
It’s ideal for when you’re cooking or cleaning and don’t want to dirty the physical Siri Remote or your iPhone.
Or those times when neither of those items are conveniently to hand.
You can similarly control other smart home appliances that rely on the HomeKit infrastructure using the native Home app on watchOS.
I often use it to change the color of my light bulbs when Siri—in typical Siri fashion—fails to process my voice commands.

Mahmoud Itani / Foundry
Radio check—do you copy?
Apart from FaceTime and iMessage, the Apple Watch offers an exclusive communication tool that seemingly very few people use.

Walkie-Talkie is a built-in app that lets you quickly contact other watchOS users using your voice.
Once you add a friend there, you can communicate verbally in real time using the FaceTime audio technology.
When you’re in a meeting or just don’t want to be reached, you can toggle off your availability.
While most users probably prefer regular audio messages or phone calls, the Walkie-Talkie app makes it easier to get quick answers for minor questions—like what brand of milk to get from the supermarket.
It mostly caters to best friends, family members, and partners, as having less intimate acquaintances reach you at any time would be too intrusive.

Mahmoud Itani / Foundry
Nighttime iPhone locator
If you often misplace your iPhone, you’ve likely made use of the handy Ping toggle in the Apple Watch’s Control Center.
When you tap it, your iPhone produces a loud screech if it’s within Bluetooth range.
What you probably don’t know, though, is that pressing and holding on that toggle will also make your iPhone’s camera LED flash.
This makes it possible to locate your phone in a pitch-black environment.
It can tell the time!
Did you know that your Apple Watch can tell the time? Literally, I mean.
Once you enable the Speak Time toggle in Clock settings, you can have watchOS announce the current time audibly by holding two fingers on the watch face.
I sometimes use this feature when I wake up in the morning to identify the time without opening my heavy eyelids.
TickTock-friendly
If you’re living the solo life and often need to record videos or take photos of yourself, this one’s for you.
watchOS offers a built-in Camera Remote app that transforms your Apple Watch into a viewfinder for your iPhone’s Camera app.
This ensures you’re in frame and helps you fine-tune composition before shooting.

The app also offers handy shortcuts to some of the Camera app’s buttons, like the shutter, zoom, and flash.

Your Apple Watch can do a lot more than count steps and track activiity.Foundry
One more tip
For the last tip, your Apple Watch can actually calculate how much you need to tip at restaurants.
Just input the bill’s total in the native Calculator app and hit the Tip button.
You can then choose the percentage and optionally the number of people splitting it, et voilà!
Always on hand
The Apple Watch has come a long way.
What once used to be a dependent accessory can now perform most basic smartphone tasks on its own.
That’s even more practical for those with an active cellular plan.

It’s true that performing most of these tasks would be more practical using the wider iPhone screen.
But there are still instances when the Apple Watch makes more sense.
Sometimes your hands are occupied, other times your iPhone is out of charge—regardless of your reasons, it’s comforting to know that the wearable strapped to your wrist at all times can connect you to your loved ones, play your favorite tunes, unlock electric doors, control and find other devices, and much more.
Over and out.

Source: https://www.macworld.com/article/2774804/10-hidden-apple-watch-features-youve-probably-never-used-but-should.html">https://www.macworld.com/article/2774804/10-hidden-apple-watch-features-youve-probably-never-used-but-should.html">https://www.macworld.com/article/2774804/10-hidden-apple-watch-features-youve-probably-never-used-but-should.html
#hidden #apple #watch #features #youve #probably #never #usedbut #should

10 hidden Apple Watch features you’ve probably never used–but should
Macworld For many people, the Apple Watch is primarily a fitness tracker and an extension to the iPhone. It conveniently mirrors iOS notifications, calls, and messages, letting users stay updated without taking their phones out. What a lot of wearers don’t know, though, is how powerful and feature-packed watchOS really is, and how much your smartwatch can accomplish. Below are ten Apple Watch perks you’re probably unfamiliar with. Timely gate access If you’re a watchOS user, chances are you’re already relying on Apple Pay to quickly make payments from your wrist. Similarly, the Apple Watch automatically syncs compatible tickets whenever you add them to the Wallet app on iOS. This lets you enter venues and board planes by double-clicking the side button and scanning the QR code on the smartwatch’s display. But what if your favorite gym, cinema, or airline doesn’t officially offer Apple Wallet cards for purchased tickets or memberships? Fortunately, you can manually create an Apple Watch card using any QR code. Simply download the Wallet Creator app on your iPhone, create the card, and add it to the Wallet app on iOS. In a few seconds, the newly created card should also appear on your Apple Watch when you double-click its side button. This spares you from digging through your emails or third-party apps whenever you need to cross compatible gates. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry Timeless texter It’s no secret that cellular-enabled Apple Watches can independently make calls and send texts. But did you know that regular Wi-Fi models can also do that, even when your iPhone is off or in a different location? As you’d expect, there are some requirements and limits, but it’s doable. The first and main condition is having Wi-Fi access. You can connect to any (unknown) network by inputting its password in the Settings app on watchOS. Once connected, you can send and receive iMessages and make FaceTime audio calls right from your wrist. This is especially helpful during emergencies if your iPhone dies or gets stolen. Speaking of iMessage, you can also use the Digital Touch applet in the Messages app on watchOS to send your actual heartbeat to a contact. Just place two fingers on the display, then swipe them down to send. If the recipient is also a watchOS user, their Apple Watch’s haptic feedback will mimic your heartbeat to replicate your pulse. It’s a cute, lesser-known way for couples to communicate. Web browser in disguise Another hidden Messages feature is the built-in web view that provides a basic Safari experience on watchOS. All you have to do is iMessage yourself a link, then open it on your Apple Watch. The feature also supports the Reader perk, which presents articles neatly and hides distracting items. Reading articles on a smartwatch’s tiny display is unlikely to become a regular habit, but it could come in handy in certain situations. Reincarnated iPod shuffle You probably already use your Apple Watch’s native Now Playing app to control the music streaming on your iPhone. However, many users miss out on watchOS’s native playback perk. Simply pair AirPods or third-party Bluetooth headphones to your smartwatch, and stream directly from Apple Music if you have an internet connection. For offline listening, both Apple Music and Spotify support downloading playlists to the wearable’s local storage, letting you leave your iPhone behind. This makes it possible to run outdoors with just your Apple Watch and a pair of wireless earbuds. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry The TV remote you’ll never lose watchOS also offers a native Remote app that lets you fully control your Apple TV. Even on this miniature screen, the interface manages to fit all of the main buttons, letting you switch apps, go back, navigate, control the volume, and more. It’s ideal for when you’re cooking or cleaning and don’t want to dirty the physical Siri Remote or your iPhone. Or those times when neither of those items are conveniently to hand. You can similarly control other smart home appliances that rely on the HomeKit infrastructure using the native Home app on watchOS. I often use it to change the color of my light bulbs when Siri—in typical Siri fashion—fails to process my voice commands. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry Radio check—do you copy? Apart from FaceTime and iMessage, the Apple Watch offers an exclusive communication tool that seemingly very few people use. Walkie-Talkie is a built-in app that lets you quickly contact other watchOS users using your voice. Once you add a friend there, you can communicate verbally in real time using the FaceTime audio technology. When you’re in a meeting or just don’t want to be reached, you can toggle off your availability. While most users probably prefer regular audio messages or phone calls, the Walkie-Talkie app makes it easier to get quick answers for minor questions—like what brand of milk to get from the supermarket. It mostly caters to best friends, family members, and partners, as having less intimate acquaintances reach you at any time would be too intrusive. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry Nighttime iPhone locator If you often misplace your iPhone, you’ve likely made use of the handy Ping toggle in the Apple Watch’s Control Center. When you tap it, your iPhone produces a loud screech if it’s within Bluetooth range. What you probably don’t know, though, is that pressing and holding on that toggle will also make your iPhone’s camera LED flash. This makes it possible to locate your phone in a pitch-black environment. It can tell the time! Did you know that your Apple Watch can tell the time? Literally, I mean. Once you enable the Speak Time toggle in Clock settings, you can have watchOS announce the current time audibly by holding two fingers on the watch face. I sometimes use this feature when I wake up in the morning to identify the time without opening my heavy eyelids. TickTock-friendly If you’re living the solo life and often need to record videos or take photos of yourself, this one’s for you. watchOS offers a built-in Camera Remote app that transforms your Apple Watch into a viewfinder for your iPhone’s Camera app. This ensures you’re in frame and helps you fine-tune composition before shooting. The app also offers handy shortcuts to some of the Camera app’s buttons, like the shutter, zoom, and flash. Your Apple Watch can do a lot more than count steps and track activiity.Foundry One more tip For the last tip, your Apple Watch can actually calculate how much you need to tip at restaurants. Just input the bill’s total in the native Calculator app and hit the Tip button. You can then choose the percentage and optionally the number of people splitting it, et voilà! Always on hand The Apple Watch has come a long way. What once used to be a dependent accessory can now perform most basic smartphone tasks on its own. That’s even more practical for those with an active cellular plan. It’s true that performing most of these tasks would be more practical using the wider iPhone screen. But there are still instances when the Apple Watch makes more sense. Sometimes your hands are occupied, other times your iPhone is out of charge—regardless of your reasons, it’s comforting to know that the wearable strapped to your wrist at all times can connect you to your loved ones, play your favorite tunes, unlock electric doors, control and find other devices, and much more. Over and out. Source: https://www.macworld.com/article/2774804/10-hidden-apple-watch-features-youve-probably-never-used-but-should.html #hidden #apple #watch #features #youve #probably #never #usedbut #should

WWW.MACWORLD.COM

10 hidden Apple Watch features you’ve probably never used–but should

Macworld For many people, the Apple Watch is primarily a fitness tracker and an extension to the iPhone. It conveniently mirrors iOS notifications, calls, and messages, letting users stay updated without taking their phones out. What a lot of wearers don’t know, though, is how powerful and feature-packed watchOS really is, and how much your smartwatch can accomplish. Below are ten Apple Watch perks you’re probably unfamiliar with. Timely gate access If you’re a watchOS user, chances are you’re already relying on Apple Pay to quickly make payments from your wrist. Similarly, the Apple Watch automatically syncs compatible tickets whenever you add them to the Wallet app on iOS. This lets you enter venues and board planes by double-clicking the side button and scanning the QR code on the smartwatch’s display. But what if your favorite gym, cinema, or airline doesn’t officially offer Apple Wallet cards for purchased tickets or memberships? Fortunately, you can manually create an Apple Watch card using any QR code. Simply download the Wallet Creator app on your iPhone, create the card, and add it to the Wallet app on iOS. In a few seconds, the newly created card should also appear on your Apple Watch when you double-click its side button. This spares you from digging through your emails or third-party apps whenever you need to cross compatible gates. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry Timeless texter It’s no secret that cellular-enabled Apple Watches can independently make calls and send texts. But did you know that regular Wi-Fi models can also do that, even when your iPhone is off or in a different location? As you’d expect, there are some requirements and limits, but it’s doable. The first and main condition is having Wi-Fi access. You can connect to any (unknown) network by inputting its password in the Settings app on watchOS. Once connected, you can send and receive iMessages and make FaceTime audio calls right from your wrist. This is especially helpful during emergencies if your iPhone dies or gets stolen. Speaking of iMessage, you can also use the Digital Touch applet in the Messages app on watchOS to send your actual heartbeat to a contact. Just place two fingers on the display, then swipe them down to send. If the recipient is also a watchOS user, their Apple Watch’s haptic feedback will mimic your heartbeat to replicate your pulse. It’s a cute, lesser-known way for couples to communicate. Web browser in disguise Another hidden Messages feature is the built-in web view that provides a basic Safari experience on watchOS. All you have to do is iMessage yourself a link, then open it on your Apple Watch. The feature also supports the Reader perk, which presents articles neatly and hides distracting items. Reading articles on a smartwatch’s tiny display is unlikely to become a regular habit, but it could come in handy in certain situations. Reincarnated iPod shuffle You probably already use your Apple Watch’s native Now Playing app to control the music streaming on your iPhone. However, many users miss out on watchOS’s native playback perk. Simply pair AirPods or third-party Bluetooth headphones to your smartwatch, and stream directly from Apple Music if you have an internet connection. For offline listening, both Apple Music and Spotify support downloading playlists to the wearable’s local storage, letting you leave your iPhone behind. This makes it possible to run outdoors with just your Apple Watch and a pair of wireless earbuds. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry The TV remote you’ll never lose watchOS also offers a native Remote app that lets you fully control your Apple TV. Even on this miniature screen, the interface manages to fit all of the main buttons, letting you switch apps, go back, navigate, control the volume, and more. It’s ideal for when you’re cooking or cleaning and don’t want to dirty the physical Siri Remote or your iPhone. Or those times when neither of those items are conveniently to hand. You can similarly control other smart home appliances that rely on the HomeKit infrastructure using the native Home app on watchOS. I often use it to change the color of my light bulbs when Siri—in typical Siri fashion—fails to process my voice commands. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry Radio check—do you copy? Apart from FaceTime and iMessage, the Apple Watch offers an exclusive communication tool that seemingly very few people use. Walkie-Talkie is a built-in app that lets you quickly contact other watchOS users using your voice. Once you add a friend there, you can communicate verbally in real time using the FaceTime audio technology. When you’re in a meeting or just don’t want to be reached, you can toggle off your availability. While most users probably prefer regular audio messages or phone calls, the Walkie-Talkie app makes it easier to get quick answers for minor questions—like what brand of milk to get from the supermarket. It mostly caters to best friends, family members, and partners, as having less intimate acquaintances reach you at any time would be too intrusive. Mahmoud Itani / Foundry Nighttime iPhone locator If you often misplace your iPhone, you’ve likely made use of the handy Ping toggle in the Apple Watch’s Control Center. When you tap it, your iPhone produces a loud screech if it’s within Bluetooth range. What you probably don’t know, though, is that pressing and holding on that toggle will also make your iPhone’s camera LED flash. This makes it possible to locate your phone in a pitch-black environment. It can tell the time! Did you know that your Apple Watch can tell the time? Literally, I mean. Once you enable the Speak Time toggle in Clock settings, you can have watchOS announce the current time audibly by holding two fingers on the watch face. I sometimes use this feature when I wake up in the morning to identify the time without opening my heavy eyelids. TickTock-friendly If you’re living the solo life and often need to record videos or take photos of yourself, this one’s for you. watchOS offers a built-in Camera Remote app that transforms your Apple Watch into a viewfinder for your iPhone’s Camera app. This ensures you’re in frame and helps you fine-tune composition before shooting. The app also offers handy shortcuts to some of the Camera app’s buttons, like the shutter, zoom, and flash. Your Apple Watch can do a lot more than count steps and track activiity.Foundry One more tip For the last tip, your Apple Watch can actually calculate how much you need to tip at restaurants. Just input the bill’s total in the native Calculator app and hit the Tip button. You can then choose the percentage and optionally the number of people splitting it, et voilà! Always on hand The Apple Watch has come a long way. What once used to be a dependent accessory can now perform most basic smartphone tasks on its own. That’s even more practical for those with an active cellular plan. It’s true that performing most of these tasks would be more practical using the wider iPhone screen. But there are still instances when the Apple Watch makes more sense. Sometimes your hands are occupied, other times your iPhone is out of charge—regardless of your reasons, it’s comforting to know that the wearable strapped to your wrist at all times can connect you to your loved ones, play your favorite tunes, unlock electric doors, control and find other devices, and much more. Over and out.

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Wccftech Compartió un vínculo

2025-05-14 02:09:26 ·

Google Says iPhone Adoption Of RCS Has Led Users To Share ‘More Than A Billion’ Messages Daily, Yet SMS/MMS Still Reign Supreme In The U.S.

Apple was reluctant to upgrade its messaging protocols to the new RCS standard initially, and ever since it gave in, Google claims that almost 1 billion messages are sent daily in the United States.
The number is enormous, and the iPhone's adoption has a significant role to play in this regard.
Google mocked Apple, called it by name, and was hell-bent on getting the company to adopt the new standard, and there was a reason for it.
Despite RCS growth, SMS/MMS still leads in message volume, highlighting gaps in carrier support and adoption
In the U.S., the iPhone is quite popular, and with it, Apple's iMessage platform.
Google wanted to create an alternative messaging service to iMessage, and the closer it could get to it was by making Apple accept RCS as the new protocol for the Messages app.
This allowed non-iPhone smartphones to send and receive not just texts but media, voice notes, reactions, and a lot more.
While Apple has a lot to do with the boosted adoption rate, the new RCS standard gained a massive user base back in 2023, as the service gathered over a billion monthly users.
Fast forward to 2025, and RCS is being used at a whole new level, beating any previous record.
Google has come out and stated that users in the United States send more than "a billion" RCS messages daily.
Over the last few years, we’ve been focused on improving how people connect, no matter what phone they have.
That’s why we helped make RCS the messaging standard for Android and iOS.
Now, in the U.S.
alone, there are more than a billion RCS messages sent every day (based on an average of the last 28 days).
This means more people have been able to send high-quality photos and videos, and add someone to the group chat without it breaking.
While the number is bigger than before, SMS and MMS messages still take the lead in the United States, with over 6 billion messages sent on a daily basis.
This is because there are still carriers in the United States that do not support the new RCS standard on the iPhone yet, which is causing the number to be a lot lower than it should be.
Once the carriers update their systems with the new standards, it is certain that the adoption will skyrocket.
Do you use RCS on your Android device on a daily basis? Let us know your thoughts in the comments if it feels like an upgrade over traditional SMS/MMS messages.
Deal of the Day

Source: https://wccftech.com/googls-says-iphone-adoption-of-rcs-leads-to-a-billion-daily-messages/" style="color: #0066cc;">https://wccftech.com/googls-says-iphone-adoption-of-rcs-leads-to-a-billion-daily-messages/
#google #says #iphone #adoption #rcs #has #led #users #share #more #than #billion #messages #daily #yet #smsmms #still #reign #supreme #the

Google Says iPhone Adoption Of RCS Has Led Users To Share ‘More Than A Billion’ Messages Daily, Yet SMS/MMS Still Reign Supreme In The U.S.
Apple was reluctant to upgrade its messaging protocols to the new RCS standard initially, and ever since it gave in, Google claims that almost 1 billion messages are sent daily in the United States. The number is enormous, and the iPhone's adoption has a significant role to play in this regard. Google mocked Apple, called it by name, and was hell-bent on getting the company to adopt the new standard, and there was a reason for it. Despite RCS growth, SMS/MMS still leads in message volume, highlighting gaps in carrier support and adoption In the U.S., the iPhone is quite popular, and with it, Apple's iMessage platform. Google wanted to create an alternative messaging service to iMessage, and the closer it could get to it was by making Apple accept RCS as the new protocol for the Messages app. This allowed non-iPhone smartphones to send and receive not just texts but media, voice notes, reactions, and a lot more. While Apple has a lot to do with the boosted adoption rate, the new RCS standard gained a massive user base back in 2023, as the service gathered over a billion monthly users. Fast forward to 2025, and RCS is being used at a whole new level, beating any previous record. Google has come out and stated that users in the United States send more than "a billion" RCS messages daily. Over the last few years, we’ve been focused on improving how people connect, no matter what phone they have. That’s why we helped make RCS the messaging standard for Android and iOS. Now, in the U.S. alone, there are more than a billion RCS messages sent every day (based on an average of the last 28 days). This means more people have been able to send high-quality photos and videos, and add someone to the group chat without it breaking. While the number is bigger than before, SMS and MMS messages still take the lead in the United States, with over 6 billion messages sent on a daily basis. This is because there are still carriers in the United States that do not support the new RCS standard on the iPhone yet, which is causing the number to be a lot lower than it should be. Once the carriers update their systems with the new standards, it is certain that the adoption will skyrocket. Do you use RCS on your Android device on a daily basis? Let us know your thoughts in the comments if it feels like an upgrade over traditional SMS/MMS messages. Deal of the Day Source: https://wccftech.com/googls-says-iphone-adoption-of-rcs-leads-to-a-billion-daily-messages/ #google #says #iphone #adoption #rcs #has #led #users #share #more #than #billion #messages #daily #yet #smsmms #still #reign #supreme #the

WCCFTECH.COM

Google Says iPhone Adoption Of RCS Has Led Users To Share ‘More Than A Billion’ Messages Daily, Yet SMS/MMS Still Reign Supreme In The U.S.

Apple was reluctant to upgrade its messaging protocols to the new RCS standard initially, and ever since it gave in, Google claims that almost 1 billion messages are sent daily in the United States. The number is enormous, and the iPhone's adoption has a significant role to play in this regard. Google mocked Apple, called it by name, and was hell-bent on getting the company to adopt the new standard, and there was a reason for it. Despite RCS growth, SMS/MMS still leads in message volume, highlighting gaps in carrier support and adoption In the U.S., the iPhone is quite popular, and with it, Apple's iMessage platform. Google wanted to create an alternative messaging service to iMessage, and the closer it could get to it was by making Apple accept RCS as the new protocol for the Messages app. This allowed non-iPhone smartphones to send and receive not just texts but media, voice notes, reactions, and a lot more. While Apple has a lot to do with the boosted adoption rate, the new RCS standard gained a massive user base back in 2023, as the service gathered over a billion monthly users. Fast forward to 2025, and RCS is being used at a whole new level, beating any previous record. Google has come out and stated that users in the United States send more than "a billion" RCS messages daily. Over the last few years, we’ve been focused on improving how people connect, no matter what phone they have. That’s why we helped make RCS the messaging standard for Android and iOS. Now, in the U.S. alone, there are more than a billion RCS messages sent every day (based on an average of the last 28 days). This means more people have been able to send high-quality photos and videos, and add someone to the group chat without it breaking. While the number is bigger than before, SMS and MMS messages still take the lead in the United States, with over 6 billion messages sent on a daily basis. This is because there are still carriers in the United States that do not support the new RCS standard on the iPhone yet, which is causing the number to be a lot lower than it should be. Once the carriers update their systems with the new standards, it is certain that the adoption will skyrocket. Do you use RCS on your Android device on a daily basis? Let us know your thoughts in the comments if it feels like an upgrade over traditional SMS/MMS messages. Deal of the Day

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Slashdot Compartió un vínculo

2025-05-13 18:59:16 ·

Google Says Over 1 Billion RCS Messages Sent in the US Daily
An anonymous reader shares a report: During the Android Show leading up to Google I/O, Google on Tuesday offered a brief update on the adoption of the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol, an upgrade to SMS that offers high-resolution photos and videos, typing indicators, read receipts, improved group chat, and more.
The company shared that the messaging standard now supports over a billion messages per day in the U.S.

This metric is based on an average of the last 28 days, Google noted.
The stat is notable because Google fought for years to get Apple to adopt support for RCS on iOS, allowing for better communication between Android and Apple devices.
Previously, iPhone users who received texts from friends on Android had to deal with blurry videos and images, and couldn't as easily manage group chats when their green-bubbled friends joined.
Unlike with iMessage, group chats with Android users couldn't be renamed, nor could people be added or removed, and you couldn't exit when you wanted.
Emoji reactions also didn't work properly, leading to annoying texts to let you know how an Android user reacted, instead of just displaying their emoji reaction directly.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/05/13/1835253/google-says-over-1-billion-rcs-messages-sent-in-the-us-daily?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed" style="color: #0066cc;">https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/05/13/1835253/google-says-over-1-billion-rcs-messages-sent-in-the-us-daily?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed
#google #says #over #billion #rcs #messages #sent #the #daily

Google Says Over 1 Billion RCS Messages Sent in the US Daily
An anonymous reader shares a report: During the Android Show leading up to Google I/O, Google on Tuesday offered a brief update on the adoption of the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol, an upgrade to SMS that offers high-resolution photos and videos, typing indicators, read receipts, improved group chat, and more. The company shared that the messaging standard now supports over a billion messages per day in the U.S. This metric is based on an average of the last 28 days, Google noted. The stat is notable because Google fought for years to get Apple to adopt support for RCS on iOS, allowing for better communication between Android and Apple devices. Previously, iPhone users who received texts from friends on Android had to deal with blurry videos and images, and couldn't as easily manage group chats when their green-bubbled friends joined. Unlike with iMessage, group chats with Android users couldn't be renamed, nor could people be added or removed, and you couldn't exit when you wanted. Emoji reactions also didn't work properly, leading to annoying texts to let you know how an Android user reacted, instead of just displaying their emoji reaction directly. Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/05/13/1835253/google-says-over-1-billion-rcs-messages-sent-in-the-us-daily?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed #google #says #over #billion #rcs #messages #sent #the #daily

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Google Says Over 1 Billion RCS Messages Sent in the US Daily

An anonymous reader shares a report: During the Android Show leading up to Google I/O, Google on Tuesday offered a brief update on the adoption of the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol, an upgrade to SMS that offers high-resolution photos and videos, typing indicators, read receipts, improved group chat, and more. The company shared that the messaging standard now supports over a billion messages per day in the U.S. This metric is based on an average of the last 28 days, Google noted. The stat is notable because Google fought for years to get Apple to adopt support for RCS on iOS, allowing for better communication between Android and Apple devices. Previously, iPhone users who received texts from friends on Android had to deal with blurry videos and images, and couldn't as easily manage group chats when their green-bubbled friends joined. Unlike with iMessage, group chats with Android users couldn't be renamed, nor could people be added or removed, and you couldn't exit when you wanted. Emoji reactions also didn't work properly, leading to annoying texts to let you know how an Android user reacted, instead of just displaying their emoji reaction directly. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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2025-05-13 13:24:19 ·

#333;">Bizarre iPhone bug causes some audio messages to fail. Here’s why
Macworld
Super-weird bugs in Messages are nothing new, but this latest one is a real head-scratcher: If you try to send an audio message with the phrase “Dave and Buster’s,” it won’t work.
Why would that specific phrasing cause a problem? A coding expert has cracked the case.
I won’t say “and the reason will shock you,” but if you’re anything like me, you’ll find it interesting.
First, let me explain what happens when the bug triggers.
At first, the audio message (“I’m off to eat lunch at Dave and Buster’s,” as an example) appears to send normally.
It shows up in the Messages thread to the recipient, along with a transcript of the content.
No problem is flagged.
It’s at the recipient’s end that we spot the issue.
Initially the recipient sees the ellipsis icon, indicating that something is being typed or sent… but this carries on, and carries on, and eventually disappears.
And at this point there is no indication that anything has been sent at all: no message, no message transcript, no message failed notification.
In fact, if the recipient didn’t happen to have the app open, or had it open but was in a different conversation thread, they never would have known something was supposed to be on the way.
This bug is new to me, and the first time I heard about it was when it was discussed on Monday in the blog run by Guilherme Rambo, a coding and engineering expert.
Rambo, in turn, heard about the bug on the Search Engine podcast, which devoted its May 9 episode to the subject.
Rambo reproduced the bug, guessed the problem must be at the recipient end, then plugged that device into his Mac and started looking at logs.
And from that point it doesn’t appear to have taken long for him to work out what was going on: iOS’s transcription engine was recognizing the name of the U.S.
restaurant chain, changing it to the correct corporate branding (“Dave & Buster’s,” with an all-important ampersand), and then passing that into the XHTML code used to send a transcript with the audio message.
The problem isn’t being caused by the words Dave and Buster’s, but by the ampersand character between them, which has a special purpose in coding and prevents the code from being parsed correctly.

The phrase “Dave and Buster’s” doesn’t cause a problem in the U.K.
because iOS doesn’t add an ampersand (or even an apostrophe).David Price / Foundry
As you can see in the image at the top of this story, a seemingly successfully sent audio iMessage ending with the phrase “Dave & Buster’s” appears as sent but never actually appears on the recipient’s phone.
After a while, the audio message disappeared from the sender’s phone, and the recipient was completely unaware that the message had ever been sent.
With that in mind, it’s a short leap to recognize that other brands could cause the same issue—they just haven’t been spotted doing so up to now.
Rambo notes that “M&Ms” will do the same thing.
For U.K.
iPhone owners, in fact, “Dave and Buster’s” doesn’t trigger the bug because that chain is evidently not well enough known here and doesn’t get its ampersand added by autocorrect.

To reproduce the issue, I had to ask a friend to send me a message about the supermarket chain M&S.
Sure enough, this caused the hanging ellipsis followed by an unsent message.
At the time of writing, it seems almost certain that any phrase iOS would recognize as containing an ampersand would cause an audio message to fail, and when I put it like that, it’s surprising the bug hasn’t been more widely reported.

But here’s what happens when a U.K.
user tries to send a message about the supermarket chain M&S, complete with ampersand.Karen Haslam / Foundry
On the plus side, one would imagine it’s a bug that should be easy to patch in an iOS update.
The transcription feature in Messages simply needs to be told to “escape” special characters so they don’t mess up the parsing process.
And as Rambo notes, this isn’t a bug with any security vulnerabilities; indeed, it shows Apple’s BlastDoor mechanism working correctly.
“Many bad parsers would probably accept the incorrectly-formatted XHTML,” he writes, “but that sort of leniency when parsing data formats is often what ends up causing security issues.
By being pedantic about the formatting, BlastDoor is protecting the recipient from an exploit that would abuse that type of issue.”

#666;">المصدر: https://www.macworld.com/article/2779707/bizarre-iphone-bug-causes-some-audio-messages-to-fail-heres-why.html" style="color: #0066cc; text-decoration: none;">www.macworld.com
#0066cc;">#bizarre #iphone #bug #causes #some #audio #messages #fail #heres #why #macworldsuperweird #bugs #are #nothing #new #but #this #latest #one #real #headscratcher #you #try #send #message #with #the #phrase #dave #and #busters #wont #workwhy #would #that #specific #phrasing #cause #problem #coding #expert #has #cracked #casei #say #reason #will #shock #youre #anything #like #youll #find #interestingfirst #let #explain #what #happens #when #triggersat #first #off #eat #lunch #example #appears #normallyit #shows #thread #recipient #along #transcript #contentno #flaggedits #recipients #end #spot #issueinitially #sees #ellipsis #icon #indicating #something #being #typed #sent #carries #eventually #disappearsand #point #there #indication #been #all #failed #notificationin #fact #didnt #happen #have #app #open #had #was #different #conversation #they #never #known #supposed #waythis #time #heard #about #discussed #monday #blog #run #guilherme #rambo #engineering #expertrambo #turn #search #engine #podcast #which #devoted #its #may #episode #subjectrambo #reproduced #guessed #must #then #plugged #device #into #his #mac #started #looking #logsand #from #doesnt #appear #taken #long #for #him #work #out #going #ioss #transcription #recognizing #name #usrestaurant #chain #changing #correct #corporate #branding #ampamp #allimportant #ampersand #passing #xhtml #code #used #messagethe #isnt #caused #words #character #between #them #special #purpose #prevents #parsed #correctlythe #ukbecause #ios #add #even #apostrophedavid #price #foundryas #can #see #image #top #story #seemingly #successfully #imessage #ending #actually #phoneafter #while #disappeared #senders #phone #completely #unaware #ever #sentwith #mind #short #leap #recognize #other #brands #could #same #issuethey #just #havent #spotted #doing #nowrambo #notes #mampampms #thingfor #ukiphone #owners #trigger #because #evidently #not #well #enough #here #get #added #autocorrectto #reproduce #issue #ask #friend #supermarket #mampampssure #hanging #followed #unsent #messageat #writing #seems #almost #certain #any #containing #put #surprising #hasnt #more #widely #reportedbut #ukuser #tries #mampamps #complete #ampersandkaren #haslam #foundryon #plus #side #imagine #should #easy #patch #updatethe #feature #simply #needs #told #escape #characters #dont #mess #parsing #processand #security #vulnerabilities #indeed #apples #blastdoor #mechanism #working #correctlymany #bad #parsers #probably #accept #incorrectlyformatted #writes #sort #leniency #data #formats #often #ends #causing #issuesby #pedantic #formatting #protecting #exploit #abuse #type

Bizarre iPhone bug causes some audio messages to fail. Here’s why
Macworld Super-weird bugs in Messages are nothing new, but this latest one is a real head-scratcher: If you try to send an audio message with the phrase “Dave and Buster’s,” it won’t work. Why would that specific phrasing cause a problem? A coding expert has cracked the case. I won’t say “and the reason will shock you,” but if you’re anything like me, you’ll find it interesting. First, let me explain what happens when the bug triggers. At first, the audio message (“I’m off to eat lunch at Dave and Buster’s,” as an example) appears to send normally. It shows up in the Messages thread to the recipient, along with a transcript of the content. No problem is flagged. It’s at the recipient’s end that we spot the issue. Initially the recipient sees the ellipsis icon, indicating that something is being typed or sent… but this carries on, and carries on, and eventually disappears. And at this point there is no indication that anything has been sent at all: no message, no message transcript, no message failed notification. In fact, if the recipient didn’t happen to have the app open, or had it open but was in a different conversation thread, they never would have known something was supposed to be on the way. This bug is new to me, and the first time I heard about it was when it was discussed on Monday in the blog run by Guilherme Rambo, a coding and engineering expert. Rambo, in turn, heard about the bug on the Search Engine podcast, which devoted its May 9 episode to the subject. Rambo reproduced the bug, guessed the problem must be at the recipient end, then plugged that device into his Mac and started looking at logs. And from that point it doesn’t appear to have taken long for him to work out what was going on: iOS’s transcription engine was recognizing the name of the U.S. restaurant chain, changing it to the correct corporate branding (“Dave & Buster’s,” with an all-important ampersand), and then passing that into the XHTML code used to send a transcript with the audio message. The problem isn’t being caused by the words Dave and Buster’s, but by the ampersand character between them, which has a special purpose in coding and prevents the code from being parsed correctly. The phrase “Dave and Buster’s” doesn’t cause a problem in the U.K. because iOS doesn’t add an ampersand (or even an apostrophe).David Price / Foundry As you can see in the image at the top of this story, a seemingly successfully sent audio iMessage ending with the phrase “Dave & Buster’s” appears as sent but never actually appears on the recipient’s phone. After a while, the audio message disappeared from the sender’s phone, and the recipient was completely unaware that the message had ever been sent. With that in mind, it’s a short leap to recognize that other brands could cause the same issue—they just haven’t been spotted doing so up to now. Rambo notes that “M&Ms” will do the same thing. For U.K. iPhone owners, in fact, “Dave and Buster’s” doesn’t trigger the bug because that chain is evidently not well enough known here and doesn’t get its ampersand added by autocorrect. To reproduce the issue, I had to ask a friend to send me a message about the supermarket chain M&S. Sure enough, this caused the hanging ellipsis followed by an unsent message. At the time of writing, it seems almost certain that any phrase iOS would recognize as containing an ampersand would cause an audio message to fail, and when I put it like that, it’s surprising the bug hasn’t been more widely reported. But here’s what happens when a U.K. user tries to send a message about the supermarket chain M&S, complete with ampersand.Karen Haslam / Foundry On the plus side, one would imagine it’s a bug that should be easy to patch in an iOS update. The transcription feature in Messages simply needs to be told to “escape” special characters so they don’t mess up the parsing process. And as Rambo notes, this isn’t a bug with any security vulnerabilities; indeed, it shows Apple’s BlastDoor mechanism working correctly. “Many bad parsers would probably accept the incorrectly-formatted XHTML,” he writes, “but that sort of leniency when parsing data formats is often what ends up causing security issues. By being pedantic about the formatting, BlastDoor is protecting the recipient from an exploit that would abuse that type of issue.”
المصدر: www.macworld.com
#bizarre #iphone #bug #causes #some #audio #messages #fail #heres #why #macworldsuperweird #bugs #are #nothing #new #but #this #latest #one #real #headscratcher #you #try #send #message #with #the #phrase #dave #and #busters #wont #workwhy #would #that #specific #phrasing #cause #problem #coding #expert #has #cracked #casei #say #reason #will #shock #youre #anything #like #youll #find #interestingfirst #let #explain #what #happens #when #triggersat #first #off #eat #lunch #example #appears #normallyit #shows #thread #recipient #along #transcript #contentno #flaggedits #recipients #end #spot #issueinitially #sees #ellipsis #icon #indicating #something #being #typed #sent #carries #eventually #disappearsand #point #there #indication #been #all #failed #notificationin #fact #didnt #happen #have #app #open #had #was #different #conversation #they #never #known #supposed #waythis #time #heard #about #discussed #monday #blog #run #guilherme #rambo #engineering #expertrambo #turn #search #engine #podcast #which #devoted #its #may #episode #subjectrambo #reproduced #guessed #must #then #plugged #device #into #his #mac #started #looking #logsand #from #doesnt #appear #taken #long #for #him #work #out #going #ioss #transcription #recognizing #name #usrestaurant #chain #changing #correct #corporate #branding #ampamp #allimportant #ampersand #passing #xhtml #code #used #messagethe #isnt #caused #words #character #between #them #special #purpose #prevents #parsed #correctlythe #ukbecause #ios #add #even #apostrophedavid #price #foundryas #can #see #image #top #story #seemingly #successfully #imessage #ending #actually #phoneafter #while #disappeared #senders #phone #completely #unaware #ever #sentwith #mind #short #leap #recognize #other #brands #could #same #issuethey #just #havent #spotted #doing #nowrambo #notes #mampampms #thingfor #ukiphone #owners #trigger #because #evidently #not #well #enough #here #get #added #autocorrectto #reproduce #issue #ask #friend #supermarket #mampampssure #hanging #followed #unsent #messageat #writing #seems #almost #certain #any #containing #put #surprising #hasnt #more #widely #reportedbut #ukuser #tries #mampamps #complete #ampersandkaren #haslam #foundryon #plus #side #imagine #should #easy #patch #updatethe #feature #simply #needs #told #escape #characters #dont #mess #parsing #processand #security #vulnerabilities #indeed #apples #blastdoor #mechanism #working #correctlymany #bad #parsers #probably #accept #incorrectlyformatted #writes #sort #leniency #data #formats #often #ends #causing #issuesby #pedantic #formatting #protecting #exploit #abuse #type

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Bizarre iPhone bug causes some audio messages to fail. Here’s why

Macworld Super-weird bugs in Messages are nothing new, but this latest one is a real head-scratcher: If you try to send an audio message with the phrase “Dave and Buster’s,” it won’t work. Why would that specific phrasing cause a problem? A coding expert has cracked the case. I won’t say “and the reason will shock you,” but if you’re anything like me, you’ll find it interesting. First, let me explain what happens when the bug triggers. At first, the audio message (“I’m off to eat lunch at Dave and Buster’s,” as an example) appears to send normally. It shows up in the Messages thread to the recipient, along with a transcript of the content. No problem is flagged. It’s at the recipient’s end that we spot the issue. Initially the recipient sees the ellipsis icon, indicating that something is being typed or sent… but this carries on, and carries on, and eventually disappears. And at this point there is no indication that anything has been sent at all: no message, no message transcript, no message failed notification. In fact, if the recipient didn’t happen to have the app open, or had it open but was in a different conversation thread, they never would have known something was supposed to be on the way. This bug is new to me, and the first time I heard about it was when it was discussed on Monday in the blog run by Guilherme Rambo, a coding and engineering expert. Rambo, in turn, heard about the bug on the Search Engine podcast, which devoted its May 9 episode to the subject. Rambo reproduced the bug, guessed the problem must be at the recipient end, then plugged that device into his Mac and started looking at logs. And from that point it doesn’t appear to have taken long for him to work out what was going on: iOS’s transcription engine was recognizing the name of the U.S. restaurant chain, changing it to the correct corporate branding (“Dave & Buster’s,” with an all-important ampersand), and then passing that into the XHTML code used to send a transcript with the audio message. The problem isn’t being caused by the words Dave and Buster’s, but by the ampersand character between them, which has a special purpose in coding and prevents the code from being parsed correctly. The phrase “Dave and Buster’s” doesn’t cause a problem in the U.K. because iOS doesn’t add an ampersand (or even an apostrophe).David Price / Foundry As you can see in the image at the top of this story, a seemingly successfully sent audio iMessage ending with the phrase “Dave & Buster’s” appears as sent but never actually appears on the recipient’s phone. After a while, the audio message disappeared from the sender’s phone, and the recipient was completely unaware that the message had ever been sent. With that in mind, it’s a short leap to recognize that other brands could cause the same issue—they just haven’t been spotted doing so up to now. Rambo notes that “M&Ms” will do the same thing. For U.K. iPhone owners, in fact, “Dave and Buster’s” doesn’t trigger the bug because that chain is evidently not well enough known here and doesn’t get its ampersand added by autocorrect. To reproduce the issue, I had to ask a friend to send me a message about the supermarket chain M&S. Sure enough, this caused the hanging ellipsis followed by an unsent message. At the time of writing, it seems almost certain that any phrase iOS would recognize as containing an ampersand would cause an audio message to fail, and when I put it like that, it’s surprising the bug hasn’t been more widely reported. But here’s what happens when a U.K. user tries to send a message about the supermarket chain M&S, complete with ampersand.Karen Haslam / Foundry On the plus side, one would imagine it’s a bug that should be easy to patch in an iOS update. The transcription feature in Messages simply needs to be told to “escape” special characters so they don’t mess up the parsing process. And as Rambo notes, this isn’t a bug with any security vulnerabilities; indeed, it shows Apple’s BlastDoor mechanism working correctly. “Many bad parsers would probably accept the incorrectly-formatted XHTML,” he writes, “but that sort of leniency when parsing data formats is often what ends up causing security issues. By being pedantic about the formatting, BlastDoor is protecting the recipient from an exploit that would abuse that type of issue.”

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Bizarre iPhone bug causes some audio messages to fail. Here’s why