Some Android users are receiving distorted GIFs from iPhone owners

Something strange is going on as Android users who use Google Messages are receiving GIFs from iPhone users that turn into distorted still images with dots and missing pixels. Since they are being sent to Android users from an iPhone, the GIFs are sent via SMS or MMS as iOS does not support the Rich Communication Services (RCS) platform, used with Google Messages. Sometime later this year, iOS will add support RCS.

Android users on Reddit (via 9to5Google) have been complaining about this issue with the distorted GIFs spotted on Pixel and Galaxy handsets. One Pixel 7 Pro owner disabled the "Send photos faster" setting on Google Messages and the issue went away. Another Android user said that this couldn't be a legit fix because the GIFs he received from an iPhone user came out distorted and he already had the "Send photos faster" setting disabled.

Another possible fix, this one suggested by Google Support, calls for a factory reset which are the two scariest words you could say to a smartphone owner, at least one who hasn't backed up his data. If you want to try the other suggestion involving the "Send photos faster" toggle, open the Google Messages app and tap the profile icon in the upper right corner. From the menu that appears next, tap on Messages settings and toggle off Send photos faster.

Keep in mind that this isn't happening to every GIF sent by an iPhone user to an Android phone. GIFs I sent from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to a Pixel 8 and a Galaxy S24 Ultra were received in perfect condition. A couple of Redditors actually thought the distorted images looked better with one saying, "That actually looks kinda cool," and the other commenting, "Actually looks dope tbh."

One Pixel user said that he has been receiving distorted GIFs from iPhone users over the last couple of weeks over two different Pixel phones. As we said, iOS support of RCS will come later this year, possibly with the release of iOS 18. And that means when the first iOS 18 beta is released next month at WWDC, it could include support for the platform. Between RCS support and Apple's AI initiative, we could see a record number of iPhone users join the iOS 18 beta program when it kicks off in June.