In 2023, Apple confirmed adding support for Rich Communication Service (RCS) chats in 2024. With iOS 18, the company is rolling out support for the advanced messaging protocol that supports high-quality media files, reactions, and read receipts, much like internet-based messaging services provide. Hence, green bubble users will now enjoy a better messaging experience when talking to someone who owns an iPhone.
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RCS Improves Messaging Experience Between Android And iOS
RCS unlocks a bunch of features to messages between iPhones and Android devices. According to Rick Osterloh, the senior vice president of the Platforms and Devices division at Google, Apple is “joining” the company in adopting RCS. Per the executive, iPhone users can now share high-quality photos/videos, enter/exit group chats, react to messages, see typing indicators, and read receipts while texting with a friend using an Android smartphone.
As mentioned by Apple in a press release, “When messaging contacts who do not have an Apple device, the Message app now supports RCS for richer media and more reliable group messaging compared to SMS and MMS.” Apart from the aforementioned improvements, RCS also adds the ability to send messages (with or without media files) over mobile data or Wi-Fi.
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RCS Is Enabled By Default In iOS 18
To provide a seamless experience out of the box, RCS is enabled by default on iOS 18. To check whether it is for your device, head to Settings > Apps > Messages and ensure the RCS Messaging toggle is on. To tell whether RCS is available for your device, check whether the text field reads “Text Message [dot] RCS.” If the text after the dot reads “RCS,” the feature is available on your carrier. However, if the text reads “SMS,” the feature isn’t available yet.
In the United States, major carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon support RCS for iPhones. However, smaller mobile virtual network operators have yet to enable the feature. To check whether RCS is available on my iPhone, I used the method explained by CNET in its report. I headed to Settings > General > About and tapped thrice on the Carrier option. It says “Voice & SMS,” which implies that RCS isn’t available on my iPhone.
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RCS On iPhones Isn’t Available Via Indian Carriers (Yet)
There’s a chance that RCS will come to the Indian units later, as working with the major telecom providers in the country could take some time. Upon further digging, I found out that the official “Wireless network provider support” list doesn’t contain RCS messaging for providers in India.
For now, the feature is available in the United States, where it works fine. In its report, The Verge highlights that the RCS Universal Profile implemented in iOS 18 uses encryption but lacks end-to-end encryption between Android and iOS.
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