RCS debuts on iPhone, starting with iOS 18 Beta 2. How it will change SMS

For years, I was a nuisance to anyone who owned an iPhone. As I proudly carried my Samsung Galaxy devices, my friends lamented the havoc I would wreak on any text or group chat by “turning everything green.” There’s apparently nothing worse for an iMessage user than an Android user crashing their precious blue bubble party.

I’ve since given up the fight and moved to an iPhone, and now enjoy the many benefits of iMessage, including sending high-resolution photos and videos, showing typing indicators, and sharing messages. reactions. These benefits are limited to messaging with other iPhone users. I am now the one who, much to my regret, laments receiving green text messages from anyone “out there”. Exclusivity brings out the worst in us.

Learn more: Best iPhone to buy in 2024

Now that Apple has announced that it will adopt Rich Communication Services messaging, things should improve. RCS is a protocol that replaces Short Message Service (SMS) and has many of the same features as iMessage, including keystroke indicators, high-resolution media sharing, and end-to-end encryption. It’s already available on Android devices, and after years of pressure from iPhone users, competitors and lawmakers, Apple announced it would adopt RCS on iPhones as well.

Although Apple barely acknowledged RCS’s imminent arrival on iPhones during this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, the update is expected to be available to the public in the fall with iOS 18. is now rolling out with iOS 18 Developer Beta 2. 9to5Mac previously reported.

Here’s everything you need to know about how Apple’s adoption of RCS could improve messaging.

RCS will replace SMS on iPhones

When RCS comes to iPhones, it is expected to transform basic messaging with Android users into a more modern and sophisticated experience by replacing SMS and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). Apple shared a first look at the new feature on its iOS 18 preview page after WWDC, and here’s what we know so far.

Instead of getting small and grainy photos and videos from Android friends, you’ll see high-quality media. RCS will also bring benefits like read and delivery receipts, according to a screenshot released by Apple.

According to X users who used the new RCS feature with iOS 18 Developer Beta 2, iPhone owners will also see typing indicators when texting friends on Android.

But there is a big caveat: adopting the RCS will not solve the blue-green bubble problem. iMessage will continue to be available only to Apple customers, meaning that texting anyone who doesn’t own an iPhone will still be a distinct (but hopefully more comparable) experience.

And yes, SMS with Android users will always be green. You’ll just have to deal with it.

Some features will remain exclusive to iMessage or Google’s Messages app. For example, while you can edit or unsend texts in iMessage, you probably won’t be able to do so for messages sent via RCS. And features exclusive to Google Messages, such as writing text using the Gemini AI model, probably won’t transfer between devices either. It’s not yet clear whether messages sent on Android phones and iPhones will be end-to-end encrypted.

Still, this update should make messaging on Android phones and iPhones less archaic.

When will RCS be available on iPhones?

Apple hasn’t released an exact timeline, but it should be available in the fall with the release of iOS 18.

Even before the WWDC keynote, Google appeared to have accidentally leaked the arrival of RCS to iPhones in a Google Messages landing page. According to 9to5Google, the search giant noted that the new messaging protocol is “coming to iOS soon” and that “Apple has announced that it will adopt RCS in fall 2024.” This mention has since been removed, but it’s as if Google can barely contain its enthusiasm.

Will the DOJ antitrust lawsuit open up iMessage?

In a broad complaint against Apple, the US Department of Justice accuses the iPhone maker of hindering competition by looking into a series of practices it considers monopolistic. This includes allegations that Apple is “undermining cross-platform messaging” by not extending its iMessage service to Android.

Apple argued that keeping iMessage exclusive to its own devices was in the interests of user privacy and security, noting that it would not be able to ensure that encryption and authentication measures on third-party devices meet its standards. It also highlights the company’s ongoing work to support RCS, which it says will improve the messaging experience with non-iPhone users.

And as if that wasn’t enough to make people happy, Apple highlighted the range of other messaging platforms that people can use to communicate across devices, including WhatsApp, Messenger and Snapchat. But, depending on where you live, it may be more intuitive to access the native text app on your phone, whether it’s Apple’s iMessage or Google Messages.

It remains to be seen whether the DOJ’s complaint will force Apple to open its walled garden. The European Union has also put pressure on Apple and other tech giants under its Digital Markets Act, designed to promote fair and open competition in the technology sector. Earlier this year, the EU determined that Apple’s messaging platform was not considered a “controller” service, meaning it would not need to connect directly to other chat apps. (Meanwhile, Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger apps TO DO Time (years, perhaps) will tell how Apple will behave in the face of the DOJ’s allegations and whether or not any changes are in store for iMessage.

In the meantime, iPhone and Android users can find some respite thanks to Apple’s impending adoption of RCS, which should hopefully make talking to your friends on different devices less painful. And even if the texts remain green, let’s hope that the grass on the other side is a little less green.