Enabling RCS support in iOS 18

 Procedure to check if user's carrier has enabled RCS support in iOS 18 

Promised by Apple last year and top among the desired new features in iOS 18, RCS (Rich Communications Service) is a messaging standard released by Google a few years ago. Designed to replace SMS messaging, RCS is a more modern standard that can handle richer content. iPhone users clamouring for a way to send rich text messages to their Android counterparts can now finally do so, at least with the right beta version and carrier. With the launch of the second developer beta for iOS 18, the long-awaited RCS messaging option is now a reality. With RCS enabled on the iPhone, your texts to Android users can include larger file attachments, higher-quality photos and videos, audio messages, read receipts, more types of emojis and smoother group chats. But before you dive in, there are a couple of requirements. First, you'll need to install the latest developer beta of iOS 18 if you don't already have it. If you installed the beta, you'll have to grab the second one by updating the OS on your phone. One of the big changes in iOS 18 is support for RCS, enabling significantly better messaging between iPhone and Android users. 

Second, you must be on the right carrier. Though Apple has enabled RCS at its end, the carriers must also activate it on their networks. At this early stage, only Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile seem to have turned on the RCS switch. And even then, you may not yet see the option because it has only just started rolling out. If you use one of the three major US carriers and have the latest developer beta, an option for RCS Messaging appears in the settings screen for Messaging. If not, just wait until the option pops up or your carrier turns it on. With the release of iOS 18 beta 2, carriers in the US have started enabling RCS for iPhone beta testers. 

Now if you want to check whether your carrier supports RCS on iPhone or not, following is the procedure to check it:-

Open Settings

Tap “General”

Tap “About”

Scroll down and look for the eSIM/Network details

Tap on “Carrier”

When you tap on “Carrier,” the interface should refresh to show “IMS Status” details. If your carrier has enabled RCS support, you’ll see “Voice, SMS & RCS.” If your carrier hasn’t enabled RCS, you’ll just see “Voice & SMS.”

Another thing to make sure you do is enable RCS in the Settings app. This toggle may be enabled by default, but your results may vary:

Open Settings

Scroll down and tap “Apps”

Scroll down and tap “Messages”

Toggle on the “RCS Messaging” setting

If you don’t have RCS support yet, don’t worry. iOS 18 is still in beta testing and carriers will continue to roll out support for the feature in the lead up to iOS 18’s public release in September.

RCS enables features such as read receipts, typing indicators, high quality images and video and more for messaging between iPhone and Android. Using the latest iOS 18 developer beta and a supported carrier, iPhone owners can send Android users messages with high-res photos and videos, read receipts, audio clips and more. But do not install this beta on your primary phone or one you need for daily work and other important tasks. Try to run the beta on a spare iPhone.