Apple to bring RCS support to iPhone in 2024 to comply with EU mandate

Apple plans to improve the overall messaging experience for iPhone users. The Cupertino boss has announced that it will be adding support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) to the iPhone starting next year. This move aims to improve the messaging experience between iPhone and Android users including things like read receipts, typing indicators, high-quality images and videos, and more.

“Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association. We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS. This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to 9to5mac.

RCS is a modern messaging protocol that is supported by a growing number of carriers and device manufacturers worldwide. Apple’s integration of RCS will enable users to share their location within text conversations. Notably, RCS operates seamlessly over both mobile data and Wi-Fi, distinguishing it from traditional SMS.

Yet, Apple has been reluctant to join the crowd, choosing to stick with its exclusive iMessage platform instead of adopting more widely used standards like RCS. Its latest move to adopt RCS messaging follows pressure from regulators and competitors like Google and Samsung.

While RCS will offer better cross-platform message interoperability, iMessage will remain the primary platform for communication between iPhone users. Apple emphasises that iMessage is more secure than RCS, as it is end-to-end encrypted. RCS will replace SMS and MMS but won’t integrate with iMessage. The decision might also be a pre-emptive move ahead of potential regulatory challenges, especially in the European Union. RCS support is expected to launch next year.