How to check for RCS messaging and send RCS texts from iPhone
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to send an RCS message from your iPhone to another iPhone or Android device, provided you have RCS messaging enabled and it’s supported by your carrier
RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging is built into the stock Apple Messages app on iPhones and Google Messages on Android phones. It improves interoperability between these platforms and offers more features than traditional SMS. For example, RCS messaging lets you send high-resolution photos and videos, get read receipts, react with emojis, and display the typing indicator.
Unlike SMS/MMS texts that don’t require the Internet, RCS, like iMessage and WhatsApp, needs cellular data or Wi-Fi to work. However, the iOS Messages app still displays non-iMessages texts, including RCS, in green bubbles instead of blue.
One drawback of RCS messaging is that it’s not universally available and only works if a carrier supports it. Unlike third-party apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram, which you and your friend can easily set up on any smartphone, RCS requires a compatible phone and carrier support.
Despite this, RCS is becoming more popular and offers an improved messaging experience, especially between iPhone and Android users. It also works between two Android phones and two iPhones (if iMessage isn’t set up).
Check if your carrier supports RCS
Most major carriers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China support RCS (list below). But you can be sure of it by checking the IMS Status in your iPhone settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone, running the latest version of iOS 18.
- Tap General.
- Tap About from the top.
- Scroll down to your SIM provider’s section and tap the Carrier option, which will change to IMS Status. If IMS Status says, “Voice, SMS & RCS,” your carrier supports RCS messaging. Otherwise, it will just say “Voice & SMS.”
As of writing this, the following carriers support RCS messaging on iOS 18 iPhones and compatible Android devices.
United States
- Verizon
- AT&T
- T-Mobile
- Metro by T-Mobile
- US Cellular
- Visible
- PureTalk
- Xfinity Mobile
- Cricket
- C Spire
- Consumer Cellular
- H20 Wireless
- Spectrum
- Red Pocket
- FirstNet
- TracFone/Straight Talk
Canada
- Bell
- Rogers
- Telus
- Chatr
- Fido
- Freedom Mobile
- Virgin Mobile
- Videotron
- Lucky Mobile
- Koodo
France
- SFR
United Kingdom
- BT
- EE
Germany
- O2
- Telekom
- Vodafone
Spain
- Masmovil
- Movistar
- O2
- Orange
- Pepephone
- Vodafone
- Yoigo
Belgium
- BASE
- Proximus
- Telenet
China
- China Mobile
- China Telecom
- China Unicom
According to Apple’s wireless carrier features page, RCS messaging is currently unavailable in Latin America, the Caribbean, India, the Middle East countries, most of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa. One reason for this is the omnipresence of third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp; thus, carriers in these regions haven’t bothered to invest in RCS infrastructure.
Check if RCS messaging is switched on
Once you have ensured your carrier supports RCS messaging, check if it’s enabled in your iPhone message settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone, running the most recent version of iOS 18.
- Select Apps from the bottom of the screen.
- Select Messages from the list of apps.
- Tap RCS Messaging under the Text Messaging heading and ensure it’s enabled. If you use multiple SIMs, you can activate RCS Messaging for one or all lines as desired.
Text other users who have RCS messaging enabled
Once you’ve confirmed that your carrier supports RCS and it’s enabled in settings, all you need to do is fire up the Messages app on your iPhone, tap the compose button, and select a person from your contacts. If that person has RCS messaging set up on their iPhone or Android device, the typing field on your iPhone will say “Text Message • RCS.” Type your message and hit send.
If you try to text another iPhone user, chances are they already have iMessage set up. If that’s the case, the typing field will say “iMessage.” And if the person has neither RCS nor iMessage, the typing field on your iPhone will show “Text Message • SMS.”
Also, check out:
- How to send an SMS instead of an iMessage from your iPhone
- 65+ tips and tricks for the Messages app on iPhone and iPad
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/03/31/rcs-messaging-on-iphone/
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