RCS on iPhone: Features, availability in India, and what’s missing
Wondering what RCS is? Here we explain what it offers, its current status in India, and everything else you need to know.
Apple iPhones now support RCS, short for Rich Communication Services. It was introduced with iOS 18 and has, to some extent, levelled the long-standing blue bubble vs green bubble debate. However, the situation in India remains unchanged, as no carriers currently support RCS for iPhones.
That said, if you are unsure about what RCS is, what it brings to iPhones, or how it changes the way Android and iPhone users interact, here's a simplified explanation.
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RCS On iPhone: What It Enables
If you have used an iPhone and iMessage, you will have noticed features like typing indicators, delivery and read receipts, and the ability to send high-quality photos and videos. These features are part of the blue bubble experience.
Previously, these capabilities did not extend to chats between iPhones (blue bubbles) and Android devices (green bubbles). But with RCS, while messages between iPhone and Android users still appear as green bubbles, you now get typing indicators, read and delivery receipts, and an improved messaging experience.
RCS also allows users to send high quality images and videos between Apple and Android devices using the native messaging app, which was only possible through third-party instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.
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Limitations of RCS on iOS
According to Apple’s support documentation, RCS messages between Apple and Android devices are currently not end-to-end encrypted. This makes them less secure than iMessages exchanged between iPhones. Apple says that these messages are “not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” This is worth keeping in mind, although reports suggest that a solution is in development, and that Google and Apple may partner to offer the same in the country.
Having said that, things are a bit different on the Android side of things, as carriers now support RCS on Android phones in India, making texts richer when using the native Messages app.
How to Enable RCS
To use RCS, you need to be running at least iOS 18 and be on a carrier and plan that support the feature. As noted earlier, no carriers in India support RCS for iPhones yet.
To enable it: Go to Settings > Tap Apps> Select Messages> Then navigate to RCS Messaging.
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