Apple will release RCS support as part of their iOS18 update in autumn 2024. What will this mean for businesses? We answer FAQs here.
Some of the biggest advantages of RCS include the ability to send rich messages without needing to download a separate app. Send multimedia messages, see typing bubbles, read receipts and more – all from within your phone’s native messaging app. While this has been standard for Android devices since 2023 (2020 for Google Messages), Apple has been slower on the uptake, leaving many to wonder when Apple will support RCS.
However, Apple announced their plans to introduce RCS support in 2024. Here’s everything you need to know about this.
- Does Apple support RCS?
- If not when will they?
- What does RCS support from Apple mean for businesses?
- What will RCS look like on Apple devices?
Does Apple support RCS?
Not yet. However, at WWDC24, Apple confirmed that RCS support would be coming as part of the iOS 18 update in autumn 2024. While initially hesitant to adopt RCS, a spokesperson for the company said it would help offer a better interoperability experience for cross-platform devices.
When will Apple support RCS?
Apple plans to launch RCS messaging support with the iOS 18 update, which will be coming from September 2024 along with other features like the ability to schedule messages.
What does RCS support from Apple mean for businesses?
More communication will move to mobile messaging
That’s not to say channels like email or even SMS and WhatsApp will be replaced. Instead, it means businesses can expand their communication channel offerings.
Rather than relying purely on email or the likes of WhatsApp to send rich messages, businesses can finally target native messaging apps. This is one of RCS’ key selling points – there’s no need to download an additional messaging app; rich content can be sent straight to a customer’s built-in messaging app in their phone.
More power to the customer
It’s estimated that there are 1.46 billion active iPhone users in the world. While there are plenty of benefits to SMS, there are times where you might want to send customers a rich message. After all, a picture says a thousand words. Throw in a CTA button or a location pin and you can see engagement rate rise even higher.
Apple offering RCS support allows you to target every customer and engage with them on an app that’s already built into their phone. It also adds another communication channel to your stack. So, should a customer need to reach out, they have even more channels to choose from.
What will RCS look like on Apple devices?
When Apple offers support for RCS, the messaging standard and replacement for SMS, it will help to improve the communication experience between Android and iOS users. But what will RCS messages look like on Apple devices?
- Messages between iOS and Android users will still appear as green messages in Apple devices.
- The text box will state that your texts support both ‘text message and RCS’ in a light grey font (instead of ‘Text message’ or ‘iMessage’, depending on what your recipient’s phone supports).
- The messages will be delivered to the native ‘Messages’ app on the iOS device.
Kickstart your RCS journey
Want to learn more about RCS messaging? Check out our RCS quick start guide here. Or reach out to us – our experts are here to help.
Emily Herbertson
Emily is a marketing executive for Esendex UKI and has worked in a variety of content creation and strategy roles in both B2B and B2C.
