The Top Messaging Platforms

Now that you know a little about how text messages work and the standards they use lets look at some popular platforms. Specifically we'll look at Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and iMessage and how their histories line up with the standards implemented, along with how they protect your privacy.

Above is an interesting take by popular YouTuber Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) regarding the dynamic of iMessage vs. non iMessage messages in the United States.
December 3, 1992
The first SMS message is sent
March, 2002
Commercial launch of MMS technology
2007
RCS is proposed
November, 2009
WhatsApp is released on ios after months in beta
June 6, 2011
iMessage is announced, replacing iChat with a new Apple Push Notification (APNS) standard using binary protocals
August 9, 2011
Facebook Messenger is released by Facebook (now Meta)
2014
WhatsApp joins Facebook, who now owns Messenger and WhatsApp
2020
Google starts scaling development of RCS
September 28, 2023
Messenger drops support for SMS and MMS
November 16, 2023
Apple announces they will adopt RCS (kinda) starting sometime in 2024

How do they compare?

After seeing what came out first and when certain standards were adopted lets learn about what each actually has adopted that could make a huge difference in user experience along with privacy.

Messenger

SMS  ❌

MMS  ❌

RCS ✅

End-to-End Encryption ✅

Read Receipts ✅

Typing Indicators ✅

iMessage

SMS ✅

MMS ✅

RCS ✅ (coming 2024)

End-to-End Encryption ✅

Read Receipts ✅

Typing Indicators ✅

WhatsApp

SMS ❌

MMS ❌

RCS ❌

End-to-End Encryption ✅

Read Receipts ✅

Typing Indicators ✅