I'm using the default messaging app on e/OS and it doesn't support emoji responses. Not sure if this is a de-Google limitation or if other apps do have it. If so, any recommendations on basic SMS apps?

qksms

is emoji response a sms standard...? highly doubt it. isn't the other recipient receiving weird message like "Reacted with ♡ to 'Hello'"?

QKSMS has been dead for years. QUIK SMS is a revival QKSMS: https://f-droid.org/packages/dev.octoshrimpy.quik.fdroid

Thanks to both! Trying it now, at least I can receive emoji responses correctly now, not sure if I can send them

Sending them requires the proprietary RCS protocol. Only google messages and a couple others can do it. Infrastructure for RCS is owned by Google, Apple, and some carriers IIRC

I'm using the official Google Messages app on a Pixel 9 Pro. I'm still getting bullshit iOS responses from old-iPhone users. Very annoying.

It doesn't, actually. Google Messages implemented this before Apple got RCS. It's as simple as seeing a message come in that says " liked message" and converting it into a 👍 response for the referenced message. Unfortunately no one has followed their lead on that one.

That is why I said sending them. You can't send reactions that people can also see without RCS. QUIK SMS converts received reactions into the proper format but still can't send them.

I'm not sure what you mean. Every receiver has a sender. If you send it to someone with Google Messages without RCS, they will receive it.

QUIK SMS implements turning "blank liked message" into the proper format, but that still doesnt allow sending emoji reactions.

I was pretty sure that RCS id centralized and requires using the existing infrastructure, which requires some contract with Google or other providers.

Either way, no open source Messenger (that I know of) exists which supports RCS.

that still doesnt allow sending emoji reactions.

Either way, it doesn't matter. The point is, RCS does not matter. It is not necessary.