Patcay.com – Apple has finally integrated Rich Communication Services (RCS) into the iPhone through the iOS 18 update. This feature has been eagerly awaited by users because RCS significantly enhances the messaging experience between iOS and Android users
Apple’s adoption of RCS comes after numerous user requests and nudges from Google, which highlighted Apple’s delay in implementing this feature in Messages. Previously, messaging between iOS and Android still relied on SMS technology, leading to poor-quality multimedia messages and the lack of end-to-end encryption.
This issue was resolved when Apple announced at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2024 that it would support RCS on the iPhone. Android and iOS users can now enjoy a better messaging experience, including sending higher-quality files, read receipts, and typing indicators—features not available in the previous SMS technology.
According to a report from Phone Arena, several users on X/Twitter confirmed that RCS is already activated on iPhones running iOS 18 beta 2. To implement RCS, Apple collaborated with mobile operators. Currently, the iOS 18 beta only supports updated carrier packages from the three largest carriers in the United States.
The RCS feature is not available in previous iOS versions, so users need to update their devices to iOS 18. However, since iOS 18 is still in the beta stage, general users will have to wait until the stable version is released to fully enjoy this feature.
Messages sent via RCS will still use green bubbles and be labeled “Text Messages – RCS.” Although RCS has many features similar to iMessage, both iMessage and Google Messages will continue to maintain some exclusive features of their own.
