We all know that big changes are coming to the iPhone soon: Apple has finally announced support for RCS notifications. This will mean a better experience for everyone, whether someone is using an iPhone or an Android device. But Google’s new Android webpage seems to indicate when exactly this will happen – in the fall, which could mean sometime between August and November, possibly even sooner.
RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a modern messaging standard that offers a richer and more feature-rich experience than traditional text messaging. It essentially enhances your text messaging capabilities to the level of what you’re used to on messaging apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
This is what RCS offers:
- Crystal Clear Sharing: Share photos and videos with your contacts without worrying about quality loss. RCS allows for sending larger file sizes, ensuring media arrives looking crisp and clear.
- Live chat features: No more worrying about whether your message has been received! RCS offers typing indicators so you know when your recipient is writing back. In addition, you will receive read receipts so you know when your message has been delivered and viewed.
- Improved group chats: Group chats can often be chaotic due to SMS/MMS messages. RCS essentially helps to organize this mess. It allows you to use features like group chat names, participant lists, and message threads, making it easier to follow conversations and avoid confusion.
While RCS offers these benefits, it is important to note that Apple’s iMessage messaging app will still exist and will be displayed in blue bubbles. On the other hand, RCS messages will be displayed in green bubbles. This distinction helps users understand if they are sending a message to someone in the iMessage ecosystem or if they are using another platform. Apple clearly doesn’t want to remove the USP of the iMessage ecosystem from its catalog, and it’s doing everything it can to prevent that from happening.
