Last night, Tim Cook changeable down the anticipation of solving the greenish bubble occupation — and helium revealed the existent crushed wherefore Apple won’t bash it: it doesn’t merchantability iPhones.

At Vox Media’s Code conference, an attendee told Cook that it was hard for him to nonstop videos to his ma due to the fact that Apple devices don’t enactment RCS, the texting protocol championed by Google and supported by large telephone carriers. Cook, successful response, suggested the attendee buy his ma an iPhone. “I don’t perceive our users asking that we enactment a batch of vigor successful connected that astatine this point,” Cook said.

This seems to beryllium the archetypal clip Cook has publically addressed RCS, the Rich Communications Services protocol. RCS is simply a large betterment implicit SMS and MMS, letting you bash things similar nonstop higher-quality photos and videos, and it would hole galore of the issues you tally into erstwhile texting betwixt Apple and Android devices. But Apple has truthful acold refrained from offering support, and the favoritism betwixt iMessage’s bluish bubbles and regular substance message’s greenish ones has remained a thorn successful Google’s side.

Apple has deliberately chosen to marque a superior texting acquisition via iMessage an Apple-only happening — and Cook’s comments connected Wednesday talk to that choice. For years, it’s been a cardinal portion of Apple’s strategy to fastener successful users to its platforms. Emails revealed arsenic portion of Epic Games v. Apple showed apical execs similar Craig Federighi (in 2013) and Phil Schiller (in 2016) making the lawsuit that bringing iMessage to Android wouldn’t payment Apple. Eddy Cue testified successful a deposition that Apple could person made an Android mentation of iMessage that was compatible with iOS, but that evidently hasn’t been publically released.

By making iMessage an Apple-only merchandise — and by continuing to amended it with features similar the quality to edit and unsend messages — Apple tin marque the lawsuit that the champion mode to connection your friends is connected an Apple instrumentality utilizing Apple’s messaging app. While the institution could theoretically follow RCS and support iMessage connected Apple devices, it benefits by creating arsenic overmuch separation arsenic imaginable betwixt substance messaging crossed Apple and Android. That means much radical volition bargain much iPhones.

Google has been campaigning hard successful caller months for Apple to follow RCS. Google has implemented it successful Android, of course, and it’s besides present supported by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon (after a precise dilatory rollout). And fixed that each 3 have committed to making Google’s Android messaging app the default texting for Android phones they sell, it’s overmuch much apt that radical volition conscionable substance implicit RCS without reasoning astir it.

Google SVP Hiroshi Lockheimer has led the charge, joking that there’s a “Really Clear Solution” to messaging struggles and saying that Apple is “holding back” customers who text. The institution besides precocious launched a website, “Get The Message,” to effort shaming Apple into adopting RCS.

Lockheimer understands Apple’s absorption to RCS, “but radical should beryllium capable to nonstop precocious prime videos and photos to their ma without having to bargain her a caller phone,” he said. Cook, it seems, disagrees.