Apple’s iOS 18 Brings RCS Messaging to iPhone Users, Enhancing iPhone-Android Experience

Apple has rolled out iOS 18, a significant update that brings support for Rich Communications Services (RCS) to iPhone users. This upgrade promises to revolutionize the messaging experience between iPhone and Android devices.

RCS: The Future of Messaging

RCS is an upgrade to traditional SMS/MMS messaging, offering features like typing indicators with delivery and read receipts, higher resolution media (photos and videos), and the ability to send messages over Wi-Fi and mobile data, rather than relying solely on a carrier’s cellular network. Group chats also get a boost with easy controls to leave conversations.

However, it’s essential to note that RCS still lacks end-to-end encryption (E2EE), a feature that’s still being worked on by Android and iOS developers.

iOS 18 and RCS Messaging

With iOS 18, iPhone users don’t need to do anything to enable RCS messaging. The feature is enabled by default, and conversations will automatically be upgraded from SMS to RCS when communicating with other RCS-supported devices.

Android and RCS Messaging

On the Android side, Google Messages will display “RCS message” in the compose field when sending messages to iPhone users on iOS 18. Unfortunately, the lack of cross-platform E2EE means there’s no lock icon to indicate the message is end-to-end encrypted.

Carrier Support

In the US, all major carriers – AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon – are supported, but Apple has yet to enable RCS for smaller mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs).

What’s Next?

Historically, iOS update adoption among iPhone owners is swift, but Android users have a significant incentive to encourage their friends and family to upgrade to iOS 18 for a better messaging experience.