Apple's RCS 180 had nothing to do with the DMA — "Apple’s hand was effectively forced. But by China, not the EU"

Fix pictures not appearing in text messages. Messages app on iPhone.

For years, Apple rejected the idea of the RCS Universal Profile being supported on the iPhone, instead sticking with its iMessage format — locking out the Android user from secure messaging between the two. Then, on a rainy November afternoon, everything changed.

When Apple announced its shock pivot around RCS, most thought it was because of the European Commission's investigation into Apple's locked down ‘gatekeeper’ iMessage service. As John Gruber points out at Daring Fireball, however, it wasn’t anything to do with the EU at all — rather, it’s because of the Chinese government's rules around new 5G devices made for sale in the country.