- RCS support levels up those green text bubble chats
- Better file sharing, location sharing, audio notes and more
- It doesn’t replace iMessage, but coexists with it
With iOS 18, Apple finally embraces RCS support, significantly enhancing the messaging experience between iPhone and Android users. Here’s how to enable and use RCS in Messages.
What is RCS, anyway?
RCS (or Rich Communication Services) is a universal messaging standard that offers substantial improvements over traditional SMS and MMS text messages. It will drastically improve the texting experience when chatting with your Android-owning pals and their green-bubbled messages.
With RCS, you can send high-quality images and videos, share your location, attach audio clips, and see typing indicators and read receipts. Another major benefit over SMS/MMS is that RCS messages can be sent over the internet, meaning they won’t count against any texting limitations or charges on your cell plan.
How to use RCS
Open the Settings app and navigate to Messages. Here, switch on the option labeled Enable RCS. While activated, your device will automatically use RCS for messages with other RCS-compatible devices and networks. When you start a conversation with an Android user who has RCS enabled (most do), you’ll notice the text field indicating that RCS is in use. If RCS is not available, the message will fall back to old-school SMS or MMS.
Note that RCS with not replace iMessage, but coexist with it. iMessage remains the default when texting Apple devices.
Limitations
Bear in mind that RCS messages are not end-to-end encrypted. This means while RCS offers better security than SMS, it doesn’t provide the same level of privacy as Apple’s iMessage does. Additionally, RCS will not support every feature of iMessage, including things like text effects and enhanced Tapbacks in iOS 18. Those remain exclusive to Apple users.
RCS support is initially available to major US carriers, and availability may vary in other regions. Apple plans to continually expand support to new networks and regions, so check with your carrier if you’re not sure.