In the first developer beta of iOS 17, Apple allows users to edit SMS messages and reply to SMS messages in a thread, two features previously exclusive to only iMessage messages, as spotted by XDA Developers.
With the first beta of iOS 17, users can now edit an SMS message up to 15 minutes after it’s been sent, in addition to being able to reply to SMS messages in a thread. The first beta also allows users to send videos in iMessage quality via SMS, which was previously not possible.
In a text conversation with an Android user, the Android user won’t see the edited SMS, points out XDA Developer. Instead, they’ll still see the orginal text message. For threads, those do appear on the Android side but not in the correct order or an actual thread. As the report points out, Apple could add functionality that sends a follow-up message if an iPhone user has edited a text, but that’s not the current case.
The new changes, while small and seemingly insignificant given their limitations, could be a sign Apple is looking to improve the experience iPhone and Android users have when texting each other. Google has relentlessly pushed Apple to adopt the newer messaging framework RCS, but Apple seems reluctant.
The first developer beta of iOS 17 was released to developers following the WWDC 2023 keynote on Monday, with a general release set to take place this fall. For a full rundown of everything new in iOS 17, see our iOS 17 coverage
