Google Message users receive distorted GIFs sent from Apple iPhones

What you need to know

• Android users reportedly received distorted GIFs and memes from their friends who use iPhones.
• Several Pixel and Galaxy phone users took to Reddit to report the issue.
• Reddit users also suggested some workarounds, which helped resolve the issue for some.

Last week, we saw Google Messages users receive spam messages, including random letters and numbers, along with a Google support page link. This week, we're back with another blue and green bubble error, as reports suggest that Android users are receiving distorted GIFs sent from iPhones as SMS/MMS.

Several Android phone users took to Reddit (via 9to5Google) to share their Google Messages, receiving distorted GIFs from their iPhone friends. Notably, these were received via SMS/MMS by users on Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones. It wouldn't be the case if iPhones were adapted to RCS instead of relying on older communication protocols for Android handsets. The Apple iPhones are yet to gain RCS support, which is anticipated to happen later this year.

Per the Reddit posts, users saw distortion issues with GIFs and memes. However, other media messages, like photos, appear as usual. Initially, multiple users attributed this issue to file sizes sent from iPhones to Google Messages—the smaller file sizes of the GIFs rendered well, while the bigger ones struggled to render.

Meanwhile, another Reddit user noted that Google had recommended factory resetting their Pixel phone when contacted regarding the issue. In the accompanying comments, another user hinted that turning off “Send Messages Faster” had somehow fixed the distortion. And other users who tried the workaround were lucky enough to get the issue fixed as well. It appears to be a temporary solution for users facing the problem.

It is still unclear when the issue with iMessage and Google Messages started popping up, as many users on Reddit have indicated that it had been happening for more than a couple of weeks. 

As mentioned, Google hasn’t officially acknowledged the issue despite suggesting a factory reset for a user. Such issues might still pop up across iMessage and Google Messages unless Apple quickly adopts RCS support as promised.