The iPhone will help RCS this fall when iOS 18 rolls out formally, one thing Apple confirmed in the course of the WWDC 2024 keynote earlier this month. That wasn’t a shock to anybody following the RCS drama intently. Apple confirmed way back that it will help RCS on the iPhone this yr, thus ending the chat wars.
What was stunning was seeing RCS help get forcefully enabled in iOS 18 beta 1. Furthermore, Apple rolled out iOS 18 beta 2 earlier this week, which helps RCS on iPhone with none hacks. There’s one downside that also stays: The carriers.
That’s proper, your cellular operator has to make RCS out there for iPhones engaged on its community. You possibly can’t have RCS texting in your iPhone working iOS 18 beta 2 till your provider does that. And it appears like US carriers are all flipping the swap.
The iOS 18 beta 1 “hack” that compelled RCS help on iPhone confirmed that RCS solely labored on AT&T and T-Cellular. iOS 18 beta 2 then introduced a brand new setting that allows you to activate RCS Messaging on the iPhone. Nevertheless, it nonetheless appeared like solely AT&T and T-Cellular iPhones would get it.
It’s even worse for worldwide iPhone customers. I’m utilizing iOS 18 beta 2 on my iPhone 14 Professional, however the RCS Messaging possibility isn’t out there in Europe. My provider has but to allow the function.
Nevertheless, it appears like extra carriers are getting on board. In spite of everything, carriers have beforehand joined Google in asking Apple to help RCS on the iPhone. As 9to5Mac notes, Verizon iPhones may also deal with RCS texting in iOS 18 beta 2 within the US.
Extra worldwide cellular operators will possible comply with within the coming months. I’d count on extra of them to activate RCS help for iPhones in July when iOS 18 public beta 1 rolls out. Extra iPhone customers will set up the general public beta as soon as Apple makes it out there.
That stated, I’ll remind you that RCS texting on iPhone isn’t the identical as RCS texting on Android. You don’t get end-to-end encryption as a result of Apple helps the provider customary, not Google’s RCS. However you get richer communication, together with help for full media file sharing, typing indicators, and skim receipts.
RCS messages will stay inexperienced, like SMS texts, nonetheless. Solely iMessages are blue on iPhone. The Messages app will point out within the kind subject whether or not you’re utilizing iMessage, SMS, or RCS to speak to somebody.
