Don't text Drake from an Android phone

News
By
published

You used to call me on my cell phone, and then you bought an Android, and I got whiny.

An iMessage chat showing blue and green bubbles
(Image credit: Daniel Bader / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Toronto rapper Drake just released his new album, "For All the Dogs," on Friday.
  • The album features a song called "First Person Shooter" that makes a comment about receiving a text from an Android phone.
  • This isn't Drake's first time referencing green bubble texts, and Google has even tried to use a previous track to its advantage.

If you're remotely a fan of the rapper Drake (for the record, I'm not), then you should be aware that he dropped a new studio album on Friday called "For All the Dogs." Feel free to go stream on your favorite music streaming service if you haven't heard it yet, but when you get to the song "First Person Shooter" featuring J. Cole, you may catch that Drake throws a mention at Android and green bubble texts.

The reference comes up just past the halfway point of the song after things switch up. He raps about not answering someone's call before mentioning that "she got a Android, her messages is lime green."

Screenshot of lyrics from a Drake song

(Image credit: Android Central)

I have so many questions here. Why isn't he answering her call? Is it because she uses Android? Does Drake have something against Android, or just the color lime green? Why does my editor-in-chief even listen to Drake? Is it because she's based in Toronto, where he's from? Is that why she practically begged me to write this article? So many questions... but I digress.

Anyway, this isn't the first time Drake has brought up green bubbles. In last year's "Honestly, Nevermind" album, he has a song literally called "Texts Go Green," a title that references what happens when an iPhone user gets blocked on iMessage and their texts start appearing green instead of blue. Coincidentally, that's the same color that appears when an iPhone user texts an Android user. Isn't it interesting that those two circumstances are related that way? Not really, but I like the drama of it all.

Google apparently found that interesting because it used the moment to highlight the song and the fact that Apple has yet to adopt RCS, which it says can alleviate the many issues users have when texting Android phones, like low-quality media, the lack of security when sending texts via the aging SMS standard. It's one of many times Google has tried to publicly berate Apple's decision to keep iMessage to itself and not adopt RCS.

Despite Google's continued attempts, Apple won't budge on the matter. And unless the EU steps in, we may have many more years of Apple ignoring Google's pleas and Drake calling out people for texting him from Android phones.

Derrek Lee
Derrek Lee
Managing Editor

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.

12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • fuzzylumpkin
    How does Josh feel about the issue?
    Reply
  • cribble2k
    Drake is so cool.

    I wouldn't listen to his mumble rap BS if someone paid me.
    Reply
  • Mooncatt
    No worry, I don't text ducks in the first place.
    Reply
  • malimal
    You mean the guy with pink fingernails? Hes whack.
    Reply
  • Rudebwoy
    All this Drake hate is corny to me 🤷🏿
    Reply
  • fuzzylumpkin
    Rudebwoy said:
    All this Drake hate is corny to me
    Corn is a good food for ducks.
    Reply
  • Rudebwoy
    Still 🌽 tho….
    Reply
  • NOLATechy
    Why are Apple fanboys so against their own security!? SMS/MMS is not encrypted and can easily be hacked into by hackers allowing them to steal your information. Do they not realize that it's not just Android phones that are converted to SMS/MMS? Bank codes, 2 factor authentication, emergency notifications, etc. are all converted to SMS/MMS on iPhones because none of these messaging services have access to Apple's CLOSED iMessage software. Apple is supposed to care so much about its users' security, yet they refuse to incorporate RCS into iMessage to shore up their security. It's not the green bubbles we have to worry about. It's the damn insecure blue bubbles.
    Reply
  • Mooncatt
    Considering how hard it is to hack into Android, that isn't much of a concern. If you've been hacked, you have much bigger problems that your text messages.
    Reply
  • bradavon
    NOLATechy said:
    Why are Apple fanboys so against their own security!? SMS/MMS is not encrypted and can easily be hacked into by hackers allowing them to steal your information. Do they not realize that it's not just Android phones that are converted to SMS/MMS? Bank codes, 2 factor authentication, emergency notifications, etc. are all converted to SMS/MMS on iPhones because none of these messaging services have access to Apple's CLOSED iMessage software. Apple is supposed to care so much about its users' security, yet they refuse to incorporate RCS into iMessage to shore up their security. It's not the green bubbles we have to worry about. It's the damn insecure blue bubbles.
    Answer?

    You've given it 100% more thought than the average user does.
    Reply