If you’re running the iOS 18 developer beta, you may have noticed your Android friends aren’t the same green bubbles as they used to be. Carriers have been steadily rolling out RCS support on the backend, and plenty of iPhone-wielding folks have already reported decade-long feuds being solved due to Apple acquiescing…
Update, 7:50 p.m. ET: AT&T says the issue has now been fixed, telling Gizmodo over email, “We collaborated with the other carrier to find a solution and appreciate our customers patience during this period.” The original article remains below.
So you bought a Samsung smartphone through your carrier, and now you’re trying to, as Freddie Mercury sang, “Break free.” There’s a way to do so without too much of a headache, though it’s all contingent on whether or not you’ve paid off your device with your current carrier.