Apple has slowly started to let go of its strong grip on iPhone messaging. The company added RCS support for iPhones starting on iOS 18, which means green bubble messaging isn’t quite broken, and now iOS 18.2 will let you swap out the messaging app entirely.

For the first time, starting on iOS 18.2, iPhone users will have a centralized hub in Settings for managing their default apps, and it will also notably allow changing your default apps for messaging and calling. You’ll be able to install third-party messaging and calling apps and use them as the default app on your phone. The hub is called “Default Apps,” and you’ll be able to find it with a simple settings search when iOS 18.2 rolls out.

Previously, changing default apps was a cumbersome process, often requiring users to navigate through various menus and settings. It’s something Apple didn’t really want people doing a lot, and thus, it’s something it didn’t make easy. From the new settings page, you can change default apps across different categories, including email, messaging, calling, call filtering, browser app, passwords & codes, and keyboards. It’s an unusually big feature addition for a minor iOS update.

The addition of messaging and calling to the list of customizable default apps is a significant step forward as far as customizing your iPhone goes. Google could, for one, sweep in and release its Google Messages app on iPhone to give folks a more “complete” RCS experience if they want to put iMessage aside. It could also release the Google Phone app as well to go with it.

It’s important to note that this initial beta release is currently limited to Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhones. However, Apple has confirmed that a future beta will extend this new Default Apps hub to non-AI devices as well. Most people will need to wait until iOS 18.2’s stable version is out sometime soon.

Source: 9to5Mac