While Google has already adopted RCS (Rich Communication Services) in 2016, Apple’s adoption began more recently in 2024. As RCS offers more features than SMS and iMessage and is safer due to encryption and sender verification, it provides many advantages for users in general as well as for B2C communication.
When and Why Did Apple Adopt RCS?
Since September 2024, with the release of iOS 18, RCS is available for Apple. As an enhanced version of SMS, it enables Apple users to communicate with Android users more seamlessly — e.g., iMessages are not converted into MMS anymore and read receipts are included. It is an important step towards a real and easy cross-platform communication. For businesses, the more important change was the addition of RCS Business Messaging for application-to-person messaging with the release of iOS 18.
How to Enable RCS in Apple
With the activation of iOS 18, RCS should be installed automatically. If it is not automatically available, it can be activated under “Settings/Apps”—after going to the “Messages” section under “Apps”, go to “RCS messaging”, which can be toggled to “on” or “off”, enabling or disabling RCS.
If RCS is not available under iOS 18, it is due to fact that the carrier does not support it yet. RCS is already widely available in the US, Canada, Spain, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, and China. Most big carriers (such as O2, Telekom, and Vodafone in Germany) support RCS on iOS 18 and above for Apple.
What Are the Advantages of RCS?
For individuals, RCS allows for a seamless inter-platform communication between Apple and Android users, offering an easy option for sending high-quality images and videos. Other user-friendly features include typing indicators and read receipts, which foster better communication and higher engagement.
For businesses, RCS offers many advantages, as messages can be enriched with images and high-quality videos, carousels for multiple choice, suggestions for quick replies, and more. Additionally, RCS offers enhanced security with sender verification, reducing fraud and spam and improving brand trust. End-to-end encryption for RCS is not yet available for Apple, but the GSM announced in September 2024 that it is working toward enabling end-to-end encryption for Apple and interoperable end-to-end encryption.
