Apple finally confirms that it will offer RCS support from next year

Apple has confirmed that it will offer RCS (Rich Communication Services) support on iOS starting next year. “Finally!” That’s what Android phone makers could be saying. Apple adopting the RCS standard will help improve messaging between iPhone and Android smartphones. More than for Android makers, iPhone users may benefit as it will somewhat replace the boring SMS and MMS system with a fun and secure RCS system.

“We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS,” stated Apple in a statement.

GSMA’s RCS standard, for the unversed, allows users to get a smart messaging experience. In traditional messaging, users simply see messages sent by others. There are no typing indicators or read receipts. But with RCS, iPhone users will get iMessage-like features such as read receipts, typing indicators, large and high-res file sharing, and more when chatting with a person using Android.

Although Apple will bring RCS support, it won’t affect its iMessage if you are curious about that. iMessage will continue to work between iOS devices as Apple still thinks its platform is more secure and better.

Apple in the same statement said that RCS will “work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users.”

So to understand it better, if you have two friends: one who uses an iPhone and the other who uses an Android and relies on usual texting, then when you message the former, it will be an iMessage. When you text the latter, you should be relying on the RCS system. But this time, instead of usual boring text messaging, you (iPhone user) and your Android phone user will be able to enjoy better-improved messaging over mobile data/Wi-Fi.

Now, this is just an example. It’s unclear how Apple plans to implement it practically and also when it does next year. But we assume we’ll know all that as we welcome 2024 in the coming weeks.

It is worth noting that Apple’s move comes years after multiple requests and criticism. Google, which has adopted the RCS standard, has been criticizing Apple for some time now. More recently, in fact, this week itself, Nothing requested Apple to jump on the RCS standard.

We do not know how Apple came to this decision only now in 2023. However, it appears that there is some pressure out there by the European Union (EU). What we all know is that all Apple devices now support USB-C, including iPhones, thanks to the EU.