This week, Apple unveiled iOS 18, which includes a number of improvements, including the long-awaited Rich Communication Services, or RCS. The iPhone 16 was also announced alongside iOS 18. Since carrier activation is necessary for the messaging service to function, not all American networks will offer it at launch. The most recent list of carriers that support RCS on iPhones can be found on Droid Tools.
Since Google originally implemented RCS on iPhones a few years ago, it has been a frequently desired feature. This messaging protocol was created to take the place of SMS and MMS on mobile or cellular phones. This has several capabilities including sending and receiving high-resolution photos, read receipts, typing indicators, and improved group chat management, even if it does not eliminate the green bubbles from Android messages.
How to turn on RCS on an iPhone
Even after updating to iOS 18, RCS messaging is disabled by default. Users of upgraded iPhones will need to activate it through the settings. How to do it is as follows:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap Apps.
- Select Messages from the menu.
- Toggle on RCS.
- Exit the window to save changes.
Which US carriers offer RCS for iPhones?
Only a few carriers have enabled RCS since iOS 18 was released for compatible iPhones. Major carriers have been on the list, nevertheless, since the beginning. The carriers listed below provide RCS for iPhones.
- AT&T
- T-Mobile
- Verizon
- Metro by T-Mobile
- U.S. Cellular
- Cricket
- Spectrum
- TracFone
- Straight Talk
- Xfinity Mobile
- C Spire
- Consumer Cellular
- FirstNet
- PureTalk
- Red Pocket
- Visible
There is no confirmation yet when other telco operators like Mint and Boost will enable RCS on their network.
Which Canadian carriers offer RCS for iPhones?
If you’re residing in Canada or traveling there, most major carriers there offer RCS on iPhones as well. You can find the list below.
- Bell
- Rogers
- Telus
- Fido
- Virgin Mobile
- Freedom Mobile
- Koodo
- Lucky Mobile
- Videotron
- Chatr
If you would rather see it in a more organized manner, Apple’s support page has a list of several wireless providers in various nations and areas that have already integrated RCS into their networks.
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Cristian Penisoara is a Guides Writer and Android specialist at Droid Tools. An Android user since version 2 and a professional event photographer, he combines technical curiosity with a detail-oriented approach - every guide he publishes is tested step-by-step on a real device before it goes live.
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