Why is the Messages icon green if iMessages are blue and SMS are green?

[DaveTheRave]

I know this is trivial but it drives me nuts.

 

[bricktop_at]

42

 

[LunarFalcon]

All of Apple's communication apps have green icons - Phone, Messages, FaceTime. I think this is the main reason they've left it green instead of changing it to the same blue as the iMessage bubbles.

 

[DaveTheRave]

All of Apple's communication apps have green icons - Phone, Messages, FaceTime. I think this is the main reason they've left it green instead of changing it to the same blue as the iMessage bubbles.

I never considered that. Maybe they need make iMessages green and old SMS blue!

 

[ApfelKuchen]

One might also ask, "Why isn't the Mail app green like the other communications icons?"

Of the four standard Apple apps used for two-way communication, three - Phone, iMessage, FaceTime - are green, while
Mail is blue.

I read a news story a little while ago where the green color-coding for SMS messages was referred to as Apple "treating Android users as second-class citizens." Really? What's second-class about green? It's color-coding, because it's useful in a app supporting multiple communications protocols to know which messaging system is being used, SMS or iMessage. It's helpful when troubleshooting to determine which system may not be working.

And yes, SMS is feature-light relative to iMessage (and other internet-delivered messaging systems) - SMS is an industry standard, and you know what they say about things designed/administered to by committee. SMS has often been treated as a revenue source by the telcos. Remember when US telcos charged $0.25 per text, and per-megabyte for cellular data? Some telcos continue to treat some aspects of SMS as optional revenue-generating services (MMS, group messaging), holding them hostage for premium service plans.

Apple certainly has wanted users to distinguish between iMessage and SMS. Originally, before all the Animoji and "fun" features, iMessage was a money-saver (see previous paragraph) - a free benefit of staying within the Apple ecosystem, available over cheap wifi rather than expensive cellular data, available on non-cellular devices (of which Apple sells more than a few).

If Apple wanted users to truly discriminate against SMS they'd have included an ON/OFF toggle for SMS. Instead, it's effectively the mandatory messaging system - as long as you have cellular service you'll have SMS. This is appropriate, of course, due to SMS's role as a worldwide communication standard.

 

[Mess]

Maybes its because messages used to be just that. iMessage didnt come in until ios5 and the icon has always been green due to that and they wont change it to keep consistency.

 

[nicho]

I know this is trivial but it drives me nuts.

Shouldn't the white inside change to blue rather than the green outside?

 

[SenorWhyMe]

I know there are a few apps that could let you change the color of its icons, at least it would be nice to have that option

 

[minimo3]

Why does the mail icon have an envelope?? Weren’t they trying to eliminate Skeuomorphism? And why does the phone icon use an ancient wired type handset? Most kids today have never seen one before. Bottom line: the UI is a bloated, inconsistent mess of mixed metaphors

 

[ian87w]

The messages icon on macOS was blue until BigSur.

 

[bilibug]

Why does the mail icon have an envelope?? Weren’t they trying to eliminate Skeuomorphism? And why does the phone icon use an ancient wired type handset? Most kids today have never seen one before. Bottom line: the UI is a bloated, inconsistent mess of mixed metaphors

There is a difference between the use of an icon to represent a concept, and skeuomorphism, which is a design concept rendering life-like digital objects based on their physical form.

As for the phone and envelope icons, they are the current universal standard way to represent the concept of phone calls and email, not only on a device as app icons, but in print as well, especially within business and personal contact info.

This is no different than the use of an SLR camera icon or music notes for those related apps. These are basic images in a universally accepted and recognized iconography.

 

[Tagbert]

One might also ask, "Why isn't the Mail app green like the other communications icons?"

Of the four standard Apple apps used for two-way communication, three - Phone, iMessage, FaceTime - are green, while
Mail is blue.

I read a news story a little while ago where the green color-coding for SMS messages was referred to as Apple "treating Android users as second-class citizens." Really? What's second-class about green? It's color-coding, because it's useful in a app supporting multiple communications protocols to know which messaging system is being used, SMS or iMessage. It's helpful when troubleshooting to determine which system may not be working.

...

It's not Apple trying to discriminate against SMS users, but Apple customers seeing the blue people as different from the green people and treating them differently. It's a weird and stupid reaction.

From Apple's standpoint, it was intended to tell people that this person is using SMS and may not see some features like the laser beam message affects.

 

[GirlinCali]

you know. who in the right mind, decided to make WHITE lettering on lime green. I have some vision issues and its sooo hard to see my own texts.. blue and white no problem, or at least they should make it optional so you can change the colors if you cant view it easy... but it drives me nuts....been meaning to write the man in charge...

 

[Böhme417]

Because there are enough blue app icons