Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 update will bring a significant upgrade to the Messages app by adding RCS (Rich Communication Services) texting support. This new feature aims to enhance interactions between iPhones and Android devices with more modern messaging capabilities. Although RCS wasn’t heavily highlighted during Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote, its impact on photo sharing and group chats could be substantial.
The iOS 18 public beta offers a glimpse into how RCS texting is shaping up. My colleague, Nelson Aguilar, tested the feature by sending messages from his iPhone to my Moto G Power 5G running Android 14. Immediately, both devices recognized the chat would use RCS, which enabled typing indicators and high-quality media. For instance, a vacation photo Nelson sent was vibrant and clear, a noticeable upgrade over the usual compressed images in mixed-device chats.
However, as this is beta software, there were some glitches. The conversation occasionally fell back to SMS/MMS standards, and message reactions and videos sometimes appeared incorrectly or were heavily compressed. These issues are expected to be resolved by the official iOS 18 release this fall. Meanwhile, having SMS/MMS as a fallback option could still prove useful.
On the iPhone, text bubbles will remain green, while the Google Messages app will allow customization of bubble colors. The RCS update is anticipated to improve messaging, adding features like “Delivered” status notifications, high-quality media, and clearer audio messages. While Apple is integrating RCS, it plans to enhance its encryption standards and continue supporting iMessage separately. The full rollout of RCS with iOS 18 is expected alongside Apple’s next iPhone models.
