- Apple’s update removes the restriction that iPhone users can only send regular text or multimedia messages to non-Apple devices.
- Supporting RCS messages is an important decision made by Apple, which helps expand the Apple ecosystem and the global market.
OUR TAKE
Compared to traditional SMS and MMS standards, RCS messages offer significant improvements in transmission speed, media quality and chat capabilities. Support for RCS messaging in iOS 18 will further enhance Apple’s user experience and enhance brand appeal and user engagement.
–Zora Lin, BTW reporter
What happened
Apple introduced Rich Communications Services (RCS) support in its latest messaging app developer beta iOS 18, iPhone users can now send RCS messages to those using Android, and images and video messages will also appear in their inboxes, represented by RCS tags. But the text message bubble color is still green.
RCS allows iPhone and Android users to exchange higher-quality photos, videos, audio files, and larger attachment sizes. In addition, features such as read receipts and real-time typing indicators are supported. The service offers cross-platform emoji reactions and has also improved on group chat.
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Why it’s important
With support for RCS messages in iOS 18, iPhone users will be able to send and receive rich messages with imessage-like features to Android users, breaking the platform barrier and improving the cross-platform communication experience.
As a new communication protocol, RCS has been widely used in the world. With a push from Google and the impact of EU digital market regulations, RCS is expected to become the default protocol for communication between Android and iOS devices in the future. After Apple iOS 18 supports RCS messaging, it will further promote the standardisation process of messaging services and promote the healthy development of the global communications industry.
Supporting RCS messages also helps expand the Apple ecosystem and enhance brand appeal. More and more users enjoy the cross-platform communication experience brought by iOS 18, and Apple’s brand influence and user loyalty will be further improved.
