Apple is doing its part to put an end to Green Bubble Shaming. It’s our turn.

For more than a decade, smartphone users around the world have been confronted with a major problem in the way we communicate: the disparity between the ‘green and blue bubbles’.

When iPhone users send text messages to other iPhones, the messages will appear blue and they can enjoy exclusive benefits like fun emojis and animations. But when an iPhone user texts an Android user, the bubble turns green, many functions break, and the quality of photos and videos deteriorates.

Over time, the annoyance and frustration that built up between the blue and green bubbles evolved into more than a technical problem. It created a deeper sociological divide between people who judged each other on their phones. The color of a bubble became a symbol that some believe reflects status and wealth, given the perception that only rich people buy iPhones.

Some of this problem will be addressed soon.

This month, Apple announced that starting next year it would improve the technology used to send text messages between iPhone and Android users, adopting a standard that Google and others integrated into their messaging apps years ago . Texts sent between iPhones and Androids will remain green, but images and videos will look higher quality and security features like encryption may eventually appear, Apple said.

But that’s where the good news ends. The bubble culture war is far from over.

On dating apps, users of green bubbles are often turned away by the blues. Adults with iPhones have been known to privately grin at each other when a green bubble spoils a group chat. In schools, a green bubble is an invitation to ridicule and exclusion from children with iPhones, according to Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization focused on the impact of technology on families.

“This green-versus-blue issue is a form of cyberbullying,” said Jim Steyer, the CEO of Common Sense, which works with thousands of schools that use messaging apps to share stories of tension among children.

That means it’s now up to us to do better and tackle digital elitism. The solutions, including third-party messaging apps that work consistently across phones, have been around for years. The rest is about adjusting our behavior.

Go beyond the default settings

Technology companies are well aware of the power of bankruptcies. Whatever technology is loaded onto a device, it will likely be used by the vast majority of people because it requires the least amount of effort. The reason we run into the blue versus green bubble problem is that we stick with the default texting app associated with our phone numbers.

Still, we have options. Third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal have been bridging the gap between iPhones and Androids for years. They link user accounts to phone numbers, making contacting people similar to using a standard texting app. These apps also include features like encryption, group chat support, the ability to send high-resolution photos and videos — and yes, fun emojis and stickers.

So the next time you exchange numbers with someone on another phone platform, consider asking the person to stay in touch via an alternative messaging app. This can be a challenge for less technologically savvy people, such as family members who barely know how to use their phones. In that case, give them a helping hand in setting up their phone. For example, most Android phones can be customized automatically send and receive all messages from a third party app.

If third-party apps don’t sound appealing, there are other options for texting. Many younger people are congregating on apps like Discord, Snapchat and Instagram, which have messaging capabilities that work consistently across different types of phones.

It comes down to whether you care more about your technical preferences or your relationships with people, says Irina Raicu, director of internet ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.

“Smooth and easy means without any friction or effort, but sometimes you may have to put in more effort because someone has a different phone than you,” she said. “Relationships take effort.”

Drop the elitism

In a popular meme on TikTok and YouTube, a man asks random women on the street a question: “He’s a 10, but he has an Android phone. What is his new assessment?’ Most women respond with “1” or “0” and make comments along the lines of “The green bubble, not good – it’s like cheap.”

Let’s zoom in on the stereotype. It’s true that Android phones can be cheaper than iPhones because several companies make a wider range of them, including budget models that cost as little as $100. But the top-selling Android phone brand, Samsung, makes flagship Galaxy phones that cost $800 to $1,100, or about the same as Apple’s iPhones.

There is also no evidence that everyone who buys iPhones is rich. One in five Americans believes a new iPhone is worth going into debt for, according to a survey by WalletHuba personal finance research firm.

People choose their phones for different reasons, including features such as screen size, camera quality and battery life. While budget can be a factor, a green bubble is not a strong indicator of someone’s income or social status.

Setting an example

At social gatherings, many adults still worry about the colors of bubbles. When a text conversation goes green, not only do photos and videos look terrible, but fun features like adding stickers to messages stop working properly and it becomes impossible to leave a group chat. (Messages that appear as green bubbles also lack encryption, an important privacy feature, although people usually don’t worry about this.)

These complaints can cause our children to behave more negatively, Mr. Steyer said. For years, teens with Android phones have shared stories about converting to iPhones because they did getting locked out of iMessage group chats about homework and extracurricular activities.

It’s the job of adults to show kids that many of these tech issues can be addressed – and to remind them that someone’s phone is just a phone and not much more.

Those adults should include the executives of Apple and Google, who have jumped into the bubble war to try to convince users to join their platforms, Mr. Steyer said.

At a technology conference last year with Apple CEO Tim Cook, an iPhone user in the audience asked whether Apple would make improvements to its messaging app so he could send clearer videos to his mother, who used an Android phone. Mr Cook lightly told the questioner to do so buy his mother an iPhonea response that many critics considered elitist.

Apple and Google declined to comment.

“Rise above this – show some maturity here,” Mr. Steyer said. “You don’t want to bully or shame other people because of the color of their bubble or the type of phone.”