iOS 18, which releases today, brings RCS support to the iPhone. That’s a win for everyone, Android users included.
Apple’s iOS 18 is shaping up to be one of the most significant upgrades in the software’s history. Between all the AI features and tweaked UI to the broad customization options, it’s almost like Apple is revamping the iOS experience as we know it, which will shake things up for iPhone owners for years to come.
One of the best features of iOS 18 has nothing to do with the latest innovations out of Cupertino. In fact, it has roots in another part of California: Mountain View.
I’m talking about RCS.
A few years ago, Google introduced Rich Communications Service (RCS) to replace SMS messaging, which has been around since the 1990s. RCS supports a vast array of modern messaging features, like higher quality photos and videos, read receipts, clearer audio messages, and more, making it feel more like a messaging service like Telegram, iMessage, or WhatsApp.
It took a while for the new standard to roll out, but it eventually reached every Android phone that uses the Google Messages app thanks to broad carrier support.
Despite the feature being available on Android phones for years, Apple has refused to bring it to the iPhone. The company has relied on an inferior experience to remind users that talking to other iPhone users with iMessage beats talking to Android users over SMS.
