A Guide to RCS, Why Apple’s Adopting It, and How It Makes Texting Better

If you've been keeping up with each the quality retired of WWDC 2024 this week, you'll cognize that Apple is bringing the RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging modular to iPhones aboriginal this twelvemonth with iOS 18. That's a triumph for Google, which has agelong backed RCS connected Android. But what really is RCS? And wherefore does supporting it matter?

The abbreviated version: It's an upgrade connected the modular SMS/MMS texting standards that smartphones person been utilizing from the start. It brings amended enactment for each the chill features we're utilized to successful our messaging apps, similar work receipts and images, and it adds immoderate extra information layers too.

Yes, it's a batch similar utilizing iMessage from Apple, oregon utilizing WhatsApp—though it's not rather that simple. There's nary RCS app you tin install, but you tin find apps that enactment the RCS standard, arsenic we'll explain.

So the agelong version: Rich Communication Services is simply a cardinal modular alternatively than an app similar WhatsApp, Signal, oregon Telegram. It requires bearer enactment to work, which is wherefore adoption was dilatory successful the beginning, though RCS present works crossed astir countries and is supported by AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

SMS (Short Message Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) weren't truly built for the modern mode that we pass done our phones, and RCS tries to hole that. It adds oregon improves enactment for sharing large-resolution images and video, radical chatting, work receipts, video calls, and messages that really spell beyond 160 characters.

When RCS is supported successful your phone's default texting app, you tin adhd reactions to messages, spot erstwhile idiosyncratic other is typing, and driblet other elements similar GIFs, stickers, and your existent determination into conversations—all features you whitethorn good beryllium utilized to and judge arsenic modular successful different apps.

There are changes and upgrades down the scenes arsenic well. Whereas SMS/MMS requires a information transportation to your cellular network, RCS works implicit compartment networks arsenic good arsenic Wi-Fi. If you don't person a compartment awesome for immoderate crushed but you tin find a wireless network, your connection tin inactive spell through.