Apple officially rolls out RCS for iPhone, but many carriers still don't support it

With the launch of iOS 18, iPhone users are finally able to exchange rich text messages with their Android counterparts. But beyond Apple's support of RCS, each carrier needs to activate the capability -- and for now, many carriers have yet to jump on the bandwagon.

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RCS, or Rich Communications Service, is a messaging standard released by Google a few years ago. Designed to replace SMS messaging, RCS is a more modern standard that can handle richer content. With RCS enabled, texts from your iPhone to Android users can include larger file attachments, higher-quality photos and videos, audio messages, read receipts, more types of emojis, and smoother group chats.

In the US, RCS is available via the three major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile), many regional providers, and a few mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). RCS support also varies across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and India. In general, the major carriers tend to offer it; the smaller ones, not so much.

Specifically, support is still limited among MVNOs, according to Ars Technica. Such operators typically offer pre-paid services but then piggyback on the networks of major carriers to provide the actual connectivity. In the US, for example, Consumer Cellular, Cricket, and US Cellular have all implemented RCS. But other MVNOs in the US, such as Boost Mobile, Mint Mobile, Simple Mobile, and Ultra Mobile, have yet to hop onboard.

Also: iOS 17.7 rolls out this week - here's why it might be a safer bet than iOS 18

As one outstanding absence, Google Fi doesn't yet allow for RCS. The irony here is that Google pushed RCS as a standard in the Android world and shamed Apple into implementing it on the iPhone. Apparently, though, Apple still has more to do to enable RCS for iPhone users on Fi than simply supporting the capability with iOS 18.

"We have been working for a long time to accelerate the adoption of RCS, and are excited that Apple is taking steps to adopt RCS with the launch of iOS 18," a Google spokesperson said in a statement to ZDNET. "At launch, Fi users with an Android phone will be able to communicate over RCS with iPhone users that have RCS interoperability enabled. Only Apple has the ability to enable RCS interoperability for iPhone users on Fi, and our hope is that they will do so in the near future."

There are several ways to see if your carrier has activated RCS: 

How to see if your carrier offers RCS

The easiest option is to check Apple's Wireless Carrier Support page. Select your region at the top, such as the US and Canada. Scroll down the screen until you find your carrier. If you see RCS messaging among the list of features, then you're good to go. If not, then you'll have to wait to see if your carrier implements it.

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If you've already installed iOS 18, go to Settings, head to General, and then select About. Scroll down to the ESIM section and tap the entry for Carrier. If the ISM Status shows Voice, SMS & RCS, then you're set.

How to use RCS

To start using RCS in your messages to Android users, go to Settings and select Apps. Scroll down the screen and tap the entry for Messages. Go to the Text Messaging section, tap the RCS Messaging entry, and then turn on its switch.