- To use RCS on iPhone, you have to install iOS 18 and your network carrier must support RCS.
- To enable RCS on iPhone, go to Settings -> Apps -> Messages -> RCS Messaging.
- Currently, iOS 18 is available in Beta, with the stable version coming in the fall.
With the latest iOS 18, Apple is adopting the RCS messaging standard to enable smooth communication between iPhone and Android devices. RCS brings read receipts, support for audio messages, improved group chats, and other features which were previously exclusive to iMessage. The iOS 18 Developer Beta 2 enabled RCS messaging support on iPhone for some US network providers. With iOS 18 Beta 3, RCS is being rolled out to more countries around the world. If you want to try out RCS messaging support, the following post should help you enable RCS on your iPhone.
What Is RCS on iPhone
RCS stands for Rich Communication Services and is an interactive messaging protocol built to replace the decades-old SMS/MMS protocol. Unlike SMS/MMS which have character and media size limits, RCS has no character limit and allows you to send all types of media in high quality. Apple has added RCS support to iOS 18 to allow smooth communication between iPhone and Android users. Compared to traditional SMS and MMS, RCS offers the following advantages:
- Improved group chats
- Audio messages
- Read receipts
- Typing indicators
- Share messages over cellular networks and Wi-Fi
- Share high-resolution photos and videos
- Attachments with larger file sizes
- Better encryption and privacy
- Cross-platform emoji reactions
- Sharing location within text threads
How to Use RCS on iPhone
If you’ve updated to iOS 18 and your network carrier supports RCS, you can easily enable or disable RCS on your iPhone. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down to the bottom and tap on Apps.
- Now, scroll down or use the search bar to find Messages.
- Here, tap on RCS Messaging and turn on the RCS Messaging toggle.
That’s how you can enable RCS on iPhone with iOS 18. At the moment, all major carriers in the support RCS. Also, iOS 18 beta 3 rolls out RCS support to network carriers in Canada, Spain, Germany, and other countries. Many more carriers may enable RCS support when the stable version of iOS 18 arrives this fall.
Apple also has plans to partner with Google and other members of the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) to improve the RCS standard and offer more advanced features like the ability to edit and undo send RCS messages.
No, the blue bubble is exclusive to iMessage. Your RCS messages will still appear in a green bubble like your SMS. While the green bubble conversations aren’t going anywhere, RCS messages will be accompanied by the label “Text Message – RCS” for easy identification.
After you’ve enabled RCS on your iPhone, open the Messages app and look at the text entry area. If it says SMS, you’re sending a text message. If the text field says” “Text Message – RCS”, you’re using RCS on your iPhone.
RCS offers several features like the read receipts, typing indicator, and audio messages that you get to enjoy with iMessage. Although RCS and iMessage offer some similar features, they aren’t the same. iMessage is exclusive to Apple devices, whereas RCS is available on all devices to offer a more unified messaging experience.
RCS is only supported on iPhones running iOS 18. Also, if you want to use RCS on your iPhone, your network carrier should support RCS.
If you’ve upgraded your iPhone to iOS 18 and the RCS toggle is still not showing up, it’s probably because your network carrier doesn’t yet support RCS on the iPhone.
With RCS, messages are sent over Wi-Fi and mobile data. As long as you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, you don’t have to pay anything to use RCS on your iPhone. If you’re using Mobile Data, the cost is based on your mobile data plan.
