(Reuters) – Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) said it plans to adopt a messaging standard next year that will allow for a smoother texting experience between iPhones and Android devices.

The company had been resisting the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard for more than a year, with Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s Google and others pushing for the iPhone maker to adopt the technology.

Apple said the new technology would work alongside iMessage and offer better interoperability than SMS or MMS.

RCS, considered an industry standard for messaging, allows users to send and receive high-quality photos and videos, chat over WiFi or cellular data and know when messages were read, among other features.