RCS stands for Rich Communications Services. The protocol originated in 2008 as a potential replacement for SMS messaging. This article briefly describes its history, its advantages over its predecessors, how to use it, and its possible future.
Partly due to the reliability and availability of SMS (it works with every phone on the market), RCS failed to become the new standard. However, the technology saw a renaissance when Google added an open-source RCS client to Android in 2016.
Since then, RCS has continued to make progress. In addition to supporting Google Messages on Android devices, Apple also announced that it will add RCS support to iOS devices by the end of 2024, effectively replacing SMS. iMessage, which runs over Wi-Fi and cellular data networks, will continue to exist separately.
With Apple on board, RCS will be supported by all major U.S. carriers and is now built into Samsung phones. Thanks to its integration with Google Messages, RCS is well positioned to become the new standard for Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T.
RCS is part of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), a standardized architectural framework for providing multimedia communications over IP networks. It is an upgraded version of the outdated Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard used by SMS.
Due to the cost and complexity of implementing IMS architecture, it often loses out to pure data standards such as 3G, LTE, 5G, etc. This relative simplicity is part of the reason texting remains so ubiquitous despite being a decades-old technology.
Unlike SMS, which operates over a voice cellular connection only, RCS requires a mobile data connection. One of the main advantages of RCS is that its underlying technology enables enhanced integration with smartphones. As such, it has features like messages that open in other apps like browsers and maps, as well as enhanced multimedia support compared to SMS.
RCS messaging offers several advantages over SMS and is similar in functionality to Apple's iMessage. In addition to supporting rich content such as high-resolution images and videos, RCS provides read/delivered receipts and typing indicators.
There is a common misconception that RCS provides greater security than SMS, but this is not necessarily true. Like SMS, RCS messages are not encrypted and therefore easily intercepted. However, Google Messages offers end-to-end encryption, which effectively makes RCS an encryption protocol.
Encryption is enabled by default in Google Messages. To confirm it's working, you should see a small lock symbol next to the Send button and a small padlock next to the sent message.
Another major benefit of RCS is more theoretical at this stage. Since it offers many of the same advantages as dedicated apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and even iMessage, it eliminates the need for such apps, many of which exist simply to compensate for the shortcomings of SMS.
However, for text-app-less devices to become a reality, universal support is needed. While RCS adoption has certainly grown in recent years, we're unlikely to see a decline in the popularity of these applications anytime soon.
Like SMS, you don't need to download any specific application to start using RCS. The caveat is that your carrier needs to support it, and you need to use Google Messages.
To make sure RCS messaging is turned on, open the Messages app, select your profile picture in the upper right corner, then select Message Settings > RCS Chat .
Assuming the above conditions are met, your regular text messages should be sent using RCS. If you're unsure, check the read receipts and typing indicators as these will indicate that your phone is using RCS rather than SMS.
One important thing to note is that the recipient's phone must also support RCS in order to receive RCS messages. If not, they will receive your message as a text message.
Although RCS is becoming a common standard for smartphones, it is unlikely to completely replace SMS.
Because full RCS functionality requires a mobile data connection, it offers little benefit for older devices with voice-only cellular connections. Speaking of which, RCS is unlikely to appear on feature phones ("dumb phones"), meaning these devices will still require SMS to exchange text messages.
RCS is ubiquitous on Android devices, and coming soon to iOS, making text messaging even more useful and secure. It also avoids the walled garden issues inherent with third-party messaging options, as you don't need to worry about sending or receiving messages from within a dedicated app.
In short, a better RCS approach is not to completely replace SMS, but to mask the latter's shortcomings.
