What you should know
- Apple will add RCS support to the iPhone next year, offering features like end-to-end encryption and high-quality photos and videos
- Google and Samsung had been pressuring Apple to add RCS support to the iPhone
- Apple plans on adding RCS as a separate messaging option for iPhone users through a software update next year
- RCS is expected to have 1 billion users worldwide by the end of this year
Full Story
Apple has agreed to add support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) to the iPhone next year. RCS provides many of the same features as iMessage, such as end-to-end encryption, read receipts, typing indicators, high-quality photos and videos, and the ability to send larger messages. It can be used over both mobile data connections and Wi-Fi, and will include a feature allowing users to share their location inside text threads. Google and Samsung have both been pressuring Apple to add support for RCS to the iPhone, as Android users currently have to resort to the outdated SMS platform when messaging iPhone users.
In a statement released, Google expressed its support for Apple’s decision, emphasizing the importance of modern and secure communication for all users. Apple also shared its intention to work with the GSMA to evolve RCS and add stronger encryption to it while maintaining SMS as a backup option. RCS will be added to the iPhone as a separate messaging option via a software update later this year. According to Sameer Samat, the VP of the Android ecosystem, RCS is expected to have 1 billion users worldwide soon and will be available on every mobile operating system in the near future.
