13 RCS statistics to convince you it’s worth it

RCS, which stands for Rich Communication Services, is a messaging standard that allows you to deliver rich experiences directly to your customers’ mobile phones. Think along the lines of text messages, enriched with images, videos, suggested reply buttons and more – that’s an RCS message. 

But how popular is RCS messaging and what lies ahead, in terms of growth? How does RCS perform, compared to alternative communication channels? If you’re asking these questions, look no further. Here’s our list of top RCS statistics to show you that this messaging channel is worth the investment. 

Growth and popularity

• Apple integration is coming which will open even more doors: Apple has announced that they will be offering RCS support in their iOS18 update (from September 2024), which points towards even broader reach and interoperability. 
• The RCS market is seeing exponential growth: The global RCS market was said to be $8.4 billion in 2023 and is expected to hit $19.5 billion by 2028. 
• The potential for widespread adoption is growing: There are more than one billion monthly active users with RCS enabled devices. And by the end of 2024, 50% of mobile users will be able to send and receive RCS messages. This indicates the potential for widespread adoption.
• The majority of the world can currently send and receive RCS messages: Android holds 71% of market share worldwide, showing a huge potential user base for RCS.

These insights offer a glimpse into the potential of RCS as a channel and what businesses stand to gain, should they incorporate it into their communication strategy. Let’s take a look at how this correlates with customer expectations and needs…

Customer expectations

• Customers want to have rich messaging experiences: In 2012, we sent 150 billion texts daily. A decade on, this number has dropped to 36 billion texts, thanks to the introduction of alternative messaging channels like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Snapchat. Consumers are looking for richer, more immersive experiences – something that RCS can provide without needing to download a separate app.
• Verified sender ID boosts customer trust: 51% of consumers say they would trust a message from businesses if sender ID is verified – for example, there’s a logo or a sender name. This is a feature that comes as standard with RCS messaging.
• Consumers prefer to engage with rich content: More than ⅔ (36%) of consumers say they’re more likely to engage with a brand if provided with rich content.
• People want to have conversations with businesses: 68% of consumers are more likely to buy from businesses that offer convenient communication channels, which includes offering the ability to have chats. 
• Customers are primed for engagement and RCS can deliver: More than 90% of SMS users remain active for 90 seconds following a text from a business, which highlights the potential for RCS as a customer engagement tool.

Today’s consumers are looking for richer, more immersive experiences – that’s what will entice them to interact with brands. RCS, with its rich featureset and the fact it’s available in a mobile device’s native messaging app, might be just the channel you need to meet this customer expectation.

How an RCS message performs

• Very high open rate: RCS messages have an open rate of up to 98% – the same as SMS as it’s built upon the same platform. The key differentiator is the ability to send rich content.
• Very high engagement rate: 90% of rich messages are opened within 15 minutes and customers interact with RCS content for up to 45 seconds.
• High readability: Consumers are 35 times more likely to read and engage with an RCS message than an email.
• Huge ROI gains: A campaign delivered via RCS can see a 1633% increase in returns.

Statistics like the above show the engagement potential of RCS. Built on top of the existing SMS channel, you gain the chance to send rich, engaging messages to customers without them needing to download a separate app. When Apple support is introduced, this will make it a particularly powerful channel to have in your customer communications stack. 

Until then, any RCS message that’s sent to an incompatible device will be automatically converted to an SMS message. So, your customers with non RCS-enabled devices don’t need to miss out.

Ready to unlock the potential of an RCS message?

With modern day customers increasingly expecting more engaging, personalised experiences, RCS and its rich featureset is ready to transform communication. Want to learn more about RCS and how you can use it to its full potential? 

Check out our quick start guide. Or, reach out to us to learn more.