Apple released iOS18 to the public on September 16, one week after the company launched its new iPhone16, iPhone 16 Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 And more at the event in SeptemberThe update brings new features to your iPhone, such as Text effects in messages and more options to personalize your Lock screenAnd a new, long-requested feature is Rich Communication Services support in Messages.
RCS Messaging allows you to take advantage of features such as typing indicators and “delivered” status when sending messages to Android users. It also ensures that high-quality videos and images are sent when sending text messages between iPhone and Android devices.
However, RCS on the iPhone does not provide end-to-end encryption between iPhones and Android. The GSM Association, which develops the RCS standard, said online that it is working to enable end-to-end encryption between these devices.
Read more: iOS 18 brings these new features to your iPhone
Here’s how to check if your carrier supports RCS and make sure it’s enabled on your iPhone.
Does my network operator support RCS messaging?
Most carriers support RCS, but not all. For example, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all support RCS on iPhones running iOS 18. If you have a different carrier, you may not be able to use this feature, but there’s an easy way to check.
1. Open Settings.
2. Knock Generally.
3. Knock To.
4. Knock carrier.
When you tap Carrier, the status changes to IMS Status and details about messaging support are displayed on the right. For example, if your carrier supports RCS, you will see Voice, SMS and RCSIf your provider does not support RCS, see Voice and SMS.
Read more: An expert guide to iOS 18
How to enable or disable RCS on your iPhone
Apple finally brings RCS to iPhones with iOS 18.
If your carrier supports RCS, here’s how to make sure it works on your iPhone.
1. Open Settings.
2. Knock Apps below in the menu.
3. Knock News.
4. Tap RCS News under Text messages.
4. Tap the switch next to RCS messages.
Now, messaging Android devices will feel more like messaging another iPhone – but the green bubbles will still appear. And if you want to disable RCS, follow the steps above again.
Read more: The iPhone 16 Pro’s high-resolution slow-motion video is the best Apple feature in years
Why doesn’t RCS work on my iPhone?
If you’ve updated your iPhone to iOS 18, your carrier supports RCS, and you’ve enabled it on your iPhone, but RCS isn’t working for you, you may need to restart your iPhone.
You can find more information about iOS 18 here iOS 18 Review, all the ways to customize your iPhone’s home screen and our Cheat Sheet for iOS 18You can also read what you need to know about the first public beta of iOS 18.1.
Check this out: 11 hidden features in iOS 18
