After much insistence, Google got Apple to agree to introduce RCS technology on the iPhone, and this could completely change the conversation between iPhone and Android smartphones. HE RCS messaging protocol is an evolution of traditional SMS and MMS with many advantages and new functions.

What is RCS?

Rich Communication Services or RCS, A communication protocol developed by the GSM Association for the purpose of improving traditional text messages. It is not a special application, it is an application that replaces RCS SMS (Short Messaging Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).

The idea behind RCS is to present it in the regular messaging app on your smartphone. Advanced features found in the most popular messaging apps like WhatsApp. It is a protocol that operators in different countries and Google have tried to standardize, but have not been very successful so far.

RCS will improve communication between iPhone and Android

RCS and SMS and MMS: what new features do they include?

RCS has many advantages over traditional SMS and MMS. But this should also be taken into account SMS and MMS do not disappear. They will continue to be available on networks and devices that do not support RCS and in situations where RCS is not available.

RCS works more like WhatsApp or iMessageWith all the advantages it has:

• Support for sending higher resolution photos and videos.
• Support sending large files.
• Compatible with voice messages.
• Reactions to messages with emojis.
• Real-time typing indicator.
• Read the message indicator.
• Ability to send messages over mobile coverage or Wi-Fi (SMS does not work with Wi-Fi).
• There is no cost to send an RCS message over Wi-Fi.
• Improvements to group chats.
• More security. Google’s version of RCS has end-to-end encryption, but Apple doesn’t plan to use it. Instead, Apple will work with the GSMA to develop a more secure form of encryption that integrates natively into RCS.

How does RCS affect communication between iPhone and Android?

With the advent of RCS, communication will improve via messaging apps on iPhone and any Android smartphone to your Apple device. However, we will continue to use green bubbles to indicate RCS messages and blue bubbles to indicate messages via iMessage.

iMessage: blue; RCS messages: green

Actually, iPhone users will notice this change only when communicating with Android usersbecause when two iPhone users talk through the Messages application, iMessage will continue to be used by default.

There will be many improvements Since better quality files and photos can be sent, reactions to messages will appear smoothly on both devices, and those with Android smartphones will have fewer problems in chats with multiple users.

RCS and iMessage

Although Apple decided to write RCS, iMessage will continue to be the main messaging platform of the company. When an iPhone user talks to another iPhone user from the Messages app, they will do so through iMessage unless they configure it otherwise. And that makes sense because iMessage is far superior to RCS.

Messages is a complete application and iMessage has many tricks and functions that we cannot have in RCS messaging:

• Sending messages with different effects.
• Sending Stickers, ability to place them anywhere in the sent or received message.
• Send handwritten notes.
• Possibility to install applications that add functions and games.
• Reply to messages.
• Delete a message that has already been sent.
• Edit a message that has already been sent.
• Mark a message as unread.
• Mention some people in a group conversation.

As we see, RCS is a protocol that improves on the technology we already have, but it may arrive too late in a world dominated by WhatsApp.. However, in countries like the US where traditional messaging is still widely used, RCS will greatly improve communication between iPhone and Android devices.