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5 explanation why I do not ship old style SMS textual content messages anymore

Key Takeaways

  • SMS is a textual content messaging commonplace that has been round for a few years.
  • SMS has been outmoded by internet-based instantaneous messaging providers, and but it nonetheless stays generally utilized in some nations — the US and Canada specifically.
  • Listed here are the principle explanation why I’ve switched away from SMS texting every time attainable.



The Short Message Service (SMS) protocol is a decades-old texting commonplace that after represented the latest-and-greatest in text-based telecommunication. By right now’s requirements, nonetheless, it is downright archaic. The web age has spurred on speedy innovation throughout the texting scene, merely leaving SMS within the mud.

For a lot of the world, the SMS ship sailed way back. Customers have since moved on to internet-based instantaneous messaging providers, resembling WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Discord, Telegram, amongst quite a few others. Sadly for us right here in North America, SMS texting has remained the de facto fallback option every time iMessage is not accessible.

Listed here are 5 explanation why I’ve personally waned off of texting my family and friends over SMS, and why it is best to take into account doing the identical.

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1 SMS is extremely insecure

The shortage of end-to-end encryption is maybe the most important SMS concern of all of them

Google Messages End to End Encryption


At its core, the SMS protocol has a elementary flaw — it does not help end-to-end encryption for incoming and outgoing messages. Briefly, which means your mobile service supplier (and certainly, governing our bodies) are in a position to faucet into any and all SMS messages you ship out or obtain.

As consumer sentiment in the direction of the significance of privateness has hardened, SMS has turn into a legal responsibility. Even the likes of Meta’s Fb Messenger now supports encryption by default, which is saying one thing. The standard of encryption varies from one texting platform to the subsequent, however this added safety measure inside trendy messaging providers is a vital step up from SMS.

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2 SMS is not very expressive

Different texting providers merely present a extra enjoyable and interactive expertise

screen animations in imessage on iPhone 15 Pro


Through the years, numerous tech firms have helped form texting into what it’s right now. Emoji ‘tapback’ reactions, stickers, animated results, audio messages, inline replies, and extra are all staples of the modern messenger. The SMS commonplace has none of those enjoyable options — all you get is obvious textual content, together with a 160-character restrict per message, in addition.

Whereas some may dismiss these options as superfluous gimmicks, I personally imagine that they supply real worth. Like most individuals, I work together with others over textual content now greater than ever earlier than. With out these texting instruments on the helm, it turns into tough to convey emotion, sarcasm, and intent.

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3 SMS ruins each group chats and photograph sharing

Complicated multi-threaded group chats and pixelated pictures plague the SMS commonplace

Group Chat iphone (1)-1


When the SMS commonplace was initially being specified, group chats and multimedia sharing weren’t prime of thoughts. Cellphones have been far much less succesful to start with, and most of the people relied on a PC for something greater than the best of textual content messages.

Occasions have modified, and many people now use our telephones to ship high-resolution pictures and movies to family and friends.

Occasions have modified, and many people now use our telephones to ship high-resolution pictures and movies to family and friends frequently. Function-themed group chats are additionally extra commonplace nowadays, as evidenced by the recognition of naming stated chats.


From a technical perspective, SMS is solely incapable of maintaining with the instances, and it gives little or no utility by the requirements of the current day. Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) was later launched to the market to deal with this specific shortcoming of SMS, nevertheless it’s 3.75MB knowledge dimension limitation makes it an insufficient various.

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4 SMS cannot be used over mobile knowledge or Wi-Fi

In right now’s internet-first world, this can be a main inconvenience

A Netgear Wi-Fi 6E router

Netgear

Exterior of SMS, nearly each different textual content messaging platform does its job by way of an lively web connection, whether or not that be cellular data or Wi-Fi. SMS, then again, is not a beneficiary of the World Broad Net. This limits the utility of the protocol to a terrific diploma, and it is turn into a specific sore level in recent times.

For these instances if you can not seem to catch a robust sufficient reception sign, SMS turns into a lifeless weight.


For these instances if you can not seem to catch a robust sufficient reception sign, SMS turns into a lifeless weight. Knowledge plans and Wi-Fi routers, in the meantime, are nearly in every single place nowadays. The lack to make use of SMS over these applied sciences is an actual bummer, and in some situations, it even has the potential to turn into a security concern.

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5 A superior protocol generally known as RCS already exists

It is taken longer than it ought to, however RCS is lastly getting off the bottom

The RCS toggle in the Settings app of iOS 18.

The irony on this SMS kerfuffle is that it by no means needed to be this fashion — a more recent, higher texting commonplace was truly developed by the cell communications business various years in the past. It is referred to as Rich Communiction Services (RCS), and it is primarily based on the Common Profile commonplace established by the Mobile Communications Association (GSMA).


The irony on this SMS kerfuffle is that it by no means needed to be this fashion.

RCS brings with it all of the hallmarks of a contemporary texting commonplace, together with learn receipts, typing indicators, higher group chats, multimedia help, and the flexibility for use over Wi-Fi or mobile knowledge. There are a number of ‘flavors’ or RCS, with Google’s implementation having gained traction over the previous couple of years. Google’s RCS tech is constructed into its common Google Messages app, and expands on the protocol with additions like encryption, message reactions, and extra.

Apple has also gotten on board the RCS practice, albeit reluctantly. iPhones working iOS 18 or newer are in a position to send RCS chats to Android users, and may accomplish that throughout the native Messages app. This growth is a significant one — now, cross-platform messaging is not hamstrung by SMS, which is lengthy due for retirement.


This newfound proliferation of RCS is the most important purpose why I’ve switched off SMS texting in its entirety — its superior successor is now (largely) available, which makes it far simpler to kick SMS to the curb.

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