RCS (Rich Communication Services) — an upgraded, more interactive version of SMS — began as an initiative in 2007/2008. But it only reached iPhones in 2024 after years of fragmented rollouts across device manufacturers, mobile operators and individual carriers. Today, RCS is becoming mainstream, partly due to Apple’s adoption of the protocol.
Why did Apple resist RCS implementation for so long? How did RCS support for iOS unfold — and what does it mean for everyday consumers and businesses utilising text messaging? We look back at the key moments in the history of RCS and what the future looks like for rich, native, cross-platform messaging now that Apple is on board.
RCS: a brief overview and history of adoption
RCS is a rich messaging protocol that allows users to send high-quality images, videos, long-form text messages, voice notes, GIFs, and more, all within their default text messaging app. Businesses leveraging RCS can send a wide range of creative marketing campaigns to include rich cards, suggested replies, product or service carousels and CTA buttons designed to drive engagement. RCS is also well-suited to customer service use cases, enabling more interactive, real-time conversations and helping guide users through everything from their initial enquiry to post-purchase support.
The RCS standard has evolved over almost two decades at the time of writing this article. Here’s a timeline of key developments below ( you can read the full RCS history here):
2007/2008 - the RCS initiative was launched by a group of industry promoters and telecoms operators, with a view to modernising SMS. The GSM Association (GSMA) stepped in to establish a steering committee to develop the first RCS specification.
2011-2012 - the ‘Joyn’ brand was created to drive adoption across several European and US carriers, but uptake remained limited and fragmented over the next few years.
2015 - Google acquired Jibe Mobile, a startup that had built an in-house cloud platform to enable interoperable RCS across carriers.
2016 - the GSMA launched the Universal Profile standard, designed to help carriers deploy RCS quickly and easily at scale. This standard, along with Google’s support and promotion, led RCS to reach a tipping point and begin to take off.
2019-2020 - Google adopted RCS for the Google Messages app, which expanded growth among Android users. Around the same time, RCS Business Messaging (RBM) was launched, enabling brands to send rich messages to their customers.
2024 - after years of resistance, Apple finally agreed to support RCS in the iOS 18 release, enabling cross-platform RCS messages between iPhone and Android for the first time.
2026 - today, RCS continues to evolve with cross-platform end-to-end encryption (E2EE) in beta, and a new Universal Profile that launched in February, which includes new features, including interoperable video calls from an RCS conversation.
Was Apple against RCS?
Apple was opposed to adopting RCS for several years. One reason was that it wanted to keep its iMessage (rich messaging) ecosystem exclusive and locked in for Apple users. Eventually, Apple caved and changed its stance on RCS. While Apple positioned the turnabout as an effort to improve cross-platform messaging, it’s widely believed that pressure from Google and the EU, as well as regulatory pressure from the Chinese government, also played a role. In 2023, China (one of Apple’s biggest markets) issued a 5G device certification law requiring all new smartphones to support RCS messages. If Apple didn’t comply, the Chinese government could potentially ban the sale of new iPhones or deny access to local 5G networks.
Why did Apple resist RCS implementation for so long?
As mentioned, a key factor in Apple’s resistance to RCS support was iMessage, which was and still is a core retention tool. Specifically, the blue-green bubble divide was an advantage in the iMessage ecosystem.
Blue bubbles - on iPhones, blue bubble messages are sent via iMessage and only work between Apple devices. iMessage already supports rich messaging features like those of RCS, such as high-quality media transmission, read receipts, and typing indicators.
Green bubbles - messages sent in a green bubble historically indicated they were sent via SMS or MMS to Android users, i.e., a separate, older messaging ecosystem that relied on limited carrier standards and infrastructure.
The colour difference became something of a feature gap, creating friction, mostly among iPhone users. When messaging Android users, photos became blurry, there were no read receipts, and group chats often ‘broke’. The green bubble was associated with a ‘worse’ or ‘frustrating’ messaging experience. Meanwhile, Android users felt the cultural and social stigma of being unable to experience what Apple users could.
For Apple, the blue-green bubble divide was a reason for users to stay within Apple’s ecosystem. Switching to Android felt a bit like downgrading. Even now that Apple has adopted RCS, and the messaging experience is much more seamless across platforms, iMessage bubbles remain blue. RCS, SMS and MMS are green.
Other reasons Apple resisted adopting RCS
iMessage is fully controlled by Apple, across hardware, software and servers. In contrast, RCS relies on a standard that involves many parties across the mobile industry, including carriers, the GSMA and Google. This means that the RCS experience isn’t particularly consistent, not just in terms of user experience, but also privacy and security.
iMessage was built with privacy in mind and uses E2EE by default across Apple devices. RCS has historically lacked the same level of security standards as it wasn’t consistently encrypted across platforms and depended on individual carriers and implementations. It’s only recently that RCS has been moving towards interoperable E2EE across platforms. Today, RCS E2EE is still not universally applied in the same way as iMessage.
Apple’s resistance and the impact on RCS evolution
There’s no doubt that RCS usage has gained traction since Apple’s RCS implementation. More than one billion RCS messages are now sent daily in the US alone, with Apple’s support being credited as a significant factor. Could RCS have succeeded to the level it’s at today without iPhone support?
Well, RCS was already doing pretty well without Apple’s support, especially given that there are more Android devices in use today than iPhones — Android has a 72.17% market share compared to Apple’s 27.16%. According to Juniper Research, there were already 930 million RCS users globally in 2023, rising to 1.1 billion in 2024 — before Apple adopted RCS.
But… although RCS was growing, it couldn’t really move beyond being an Android feature — it couldn’t become the Universal Standard it is today, capable of working consistently cross-platform. Apple’s RCS support means that RCS is now accessible to a whole new audience and is usable at scale.
Apple and RCS for Business
Apple already had its own business messaging product designed for better customer service. Apple Messages for Business allows customers to start a chat with businesses directly in the iMessage app and integrates with other ecosystem products, such as Apple Pay, Calendar, Siri, and Maps.
Apple’s support for RCS for Business came the month after it introduced person-to-person RCS messaging. This meant that from late 2024, businesses could, for the first time, start sending RCS messages to customers with iPhones, as well as Android phones. Previously, they would have had to make do with basic SMS when communicating with iOS devices. Now, RCS opens the door to better engagement opportunities cross-platform — although SMS still has an important place in an overall messaging strategy, just in case RCS fails.
Common questions about RCS, Apple and iMessage
Apple’s rollout of RCS support has raised plenty of questions, including whether RCS will replace SMS on iPhones and how it sits alongside iMessage. The following FAQs explain what’s changed, what hasn’t, and whether Apple’s RCS implementation is global yet.
1. Is Apple switching to RCS messaging?
Apple hasn’t completely replaced SMS, but RCS messaging is now the cross-platform default for sending messages between iPhones and Android phones. Messages are sent as RCS instead of SMS when conditions allow, for example, as long as the recipient’s phone and both carriers support RCS, and there’s an internet connection. The switch happens automatically in the background. If RCS fails to send, the message will revert to SMS as a fallback.
2. How is RCS different to iMessage?
There are many reasons why RCS is different to iMessage, but let’s start with the biggest. RCS is a universal messaging standard, whereas iMessage is a product controlled entirely by Apple and works only on Apple devices. RCS works cross-platform, across different device manufacturers and operating systems. There are differences in user experience — iMessage is consistent, while RCS varies depending on whether it’s supported. And the security levels are different; however, RCS is working towards cross-platform E2EE.
In terms of individual user features, iMessage has some extras, such as tapback reactions, Apple Pay integration, stickers and syncing across other Apple devices. That said, when it comes to RCS vs Apple Messages for Business, RCS offers a better set of features, including rich cards, swipeable carousels, quick actions, embedded CTAs, and robust branding capabilities.
3. Does RCS replace iMessage?
iMessage remains Apple’s exclusive default messaging product for texting between iPhone users. RCS now integrates directly into the ‘Messages’ app on iPhones. When texting, the app checks whether to use iMessage or RCS based on whether the recipient uses iOS and, if not, whether RCS is supported. It’s unlikely that Apple will ever replace iMessage with RCS, because doing so would remove one of the exclusive ecosystem benefits that people like about Apple devices.
4. Does Apple support RCS worldwide?
Apple doesn’t yet support RCS globally. It’s readily available in Apple’s major markets (the US, UK and parts of Europe and Asia), but it depends on carrier support. Apple is continuing to expand RCS support by country and carrier. Here’s a list which details the carriers that support RCS on iOS.
The future for Apple and RCS messaging
Apple is now participating in the RCS journey, marking a big shift in native, rich, cross-platform messaging. Its adoption has helped move RCS away from being an Android-only feature and closer to a true universal messaging standard. While support isn’t complete on iPhones everywhere — yet — messaging between many iPhone and Android users is much more seamless and consistent.
For businesses, RCS is no longer limited to a single market segment. It’s now a viable cross-platform rich messaging option, with messages reaching both Android and iPhone users through the default texting app.
Looking ahead, the future of RCS messaging is promising, with wider rollout across carriers and countries, improved interoperability, new RCS standards, and enhanced security. In terms of future growth, the RCS market is predicted to expand from $19.4 billion in 2025 to more than $60.5 billion by 2030, with the increase being linked to the commercialisation of RCS business messaging.
As RCS capabilities and usage continue to evolve, Apple’s involvement will likely shape how the standard is experienced on iPhone. In time, this could open the door to more advanced capabilities within native cross-platform messaging — from AI-supported interactions to more immersive media formats. Ultimately, messaging is becoming less about the device people use and more about how they connect.
