RCS statistics: 30 things you need to know

RCS messaging is gaining real traction with enterprises, and the latest RCS statistics show it’s not slowing down anytime soon. By helping businesses enrich customer engagement through branded messaging, interactive media, and by building trust through verified senders in the native mobile messaging inbox, RCS’ potential is undeniable. 

But what’s fueling its adoption and success? And what does the road ahead look like for RCS? We’ve compiled the latest RCS statistics and insights from our 2025 State of RCS in customer communications report to help you navigate your business’ RCS messaging strategy for the future. 

Before going into specifics, let’s explore some general facts about the RCS market landscape.  

• Groundbreaking initiative: RCS, first developed by the GSM Association (GSMA), was first introduced to the world in 2008. Europe’s five biggest operators launched a service brand for a simplified version of RCS in 2011, but it didn’t catch on widely. 
• Massive user base: In 2025, Google reported that more than a billion person-to-person (P2P) RCS messages are sent every day in the U.S. alone. With Apple now supporting RCS for P2P and application-to-person (A2P) RCS in some markets, that number is set to keep growing exponentially. 
• Android dominates: Android holds more than 70% of mobile operating system market share worldwide, and RCS is enabled by default on most new Android phones. That makes RCS’ user base massive. 
• Market growth: The global RCS market was estimated to be worth around $3 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to around $9 billion by 2030.  
• Growing operator support: RCS has some level of operational coverage in a few dozen countries. 

These insights into the RCS market lay the groundwork for understanding its potential to shape the future of business communication. Next, let’s look at what features make RCS so exciting.  

RCS stands out for businesses because of its features designed to enhance communication and engagement. Here are a few features that really set it apart.  

• Higher text limits: While SMS has a limit of 160 characters per message, text portions of RCS messages are limited to 3,072 characters. 
• Send bigger files: RCS supports file sharing up to 100 MiB. For the best experience, this is also the total combined size of all media and PDF attachments that can be in a single RCS for Business message. 
• Branding opportunities: All RCS business messages are branded with verified sender information, which is especially important for brands sending sensitive messages like OTPs. 
• Deeper metrics: RCS business messages allow you to see three key business metrics: number of messages sent, delivered, and read.
• Wide availability: RCS is found in the native messaging app on Android devices and on many iOS devices (meaning someone doesn’t have to download an app before they can use RCS), and can be easily turned on in supported markets.

These distinctive features offer enterprises the means to deliver compelling messages and create great customer relationships. Next, let’s look at why businesses are rapidly adopting RCS. 

Businesses are quickly embracing RCS. The latest survey data of over 1,600 business leaders in the State of RCS in customer communications reveals a clear trend toward adoption across major industries. 

• Financial services leads adoption: The financial services industry is at the forefront of RCS adoption, with 49% of organizations saying they are already using it. Another 45% plan to implement or expand their use of RCS over the next year. 
• Tech and healthcare are close behind: 39% of technology companies report already using RCS, with 42% planning to adopt it soon. In healthcare, 36% already use RCS and 45% plan to invest over the next year.  
• Retail shows strong growth potential, especially during BFCM: 26% of retailers currently use RCS, while 35% plan to invest in it in 2025. The 2024 holiday season highlighted its impact: RCS usage grew by 111% compared to 2023, and brands saw open rates of 53%.  
• A strategic priority: Across all industries, 87% of business leaders report being at least somewhat familiar with RCS, showing it has caught the eye of businesses for customer communication strategies across industries.  

With adoption rising fast, RCS is reshaping how businesses connect with customers and opening new opportunities for engagement.  

Customer expectations and preferences are changing, and they’re looking for consistently great customer experiences. Here’s why RCS is perfectly positioned to meet those demands.  

• Customers want personalization: In our 2025 survey, 42% of global consumers said they expect personalized messages from brands, and 29% want product recommendations based on their purchase history.  
• Trust is paramount: Security remains a top concern. More than half of consumers (53%) told us they’ve received a legitimate brand message that felt suspicious. RCS helps solve this with verified senders – nearly 80% of consumers say visual indicators like a logo and checkmark increase their trust. 
• Frictionless experiences are key: 76% of consumers are open to handling returns and exchanges directly in their phone’s messaging app. That number jumps to 92% for Gen Z and 90% for millennials. 
• Two-way communication is a must: One-way messages frustrate customers. 28% of consumers say it’s a problem when they can’t ask questions or get support in response to an informational message. 

These statistics show just how much the customer engagement landscape is changing, and clearly, consumers want more meaningful interactions with brands. So, how can RCS help meet those expectations? Let’s go through how RCS is already making a difference. 

RCS delivers measurable results across the customer journey, from driving engagement to building loyalty. Businesses using RCS report significant gains in conversion, click-through rates, and overall performance.  

• High engagement rates: 90% of rich media messages are opened within 15 minutes, and customers engage with RCS content for up to 45 seconds.  
• Great conversion rates: Business campaigns using RCS messaging have shown an 80% conversion rate, indicating its effectiveness in driving engagement and sales.  
• Higher than average click-through-rates: RCS marketing campaigns see between three and seven times higher click-through rates than Rich SMS. 
• ROI: A good interactive RCS campaign can increase average order value by nearly 10% compared to other channels. 
• Building trust and security: For critical communications like verification messages, 59% of consumers prefer RCS over SMS or MMS, perhaps thanks to its verified sender features.  

RCS has a major potential to drive engagement and boost business performance across a number of different metrics. Here are a few specific examples of this in action.  

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Picard, a premium frozen food retailer, used RCS messaging as a crucial part of its holiday engagement strategy. 

That meant using the rich messaging channel to help their customers imagine their holiday menus, taking into account things like dietary preferences, budget considerations, and even their desire to cook. 

_{Watch the video to learn how Picard used RCS to creatively interact with their customers.} 

Here are a few statistics from their holiday campaign: 

• Increase in redirections: The RCS format generated over 10% more clicks to the Picard website than Rich SMS.  
• Higher engagement: Customer engagement was 42% higher.  
• Heightened CTR: Three times higher click-through rate than Rich SMS.  

Without a doubt, Picard’s audience wants conversational experiences, and RCS is a great way to provide them!   

Printemps, the iconic French luxury department store, wanted to move beyond generic messages for key shopping periods like Black Friday and back-to-school. They used RCS and Rich SMS to create highly personalized shopping experiences, sending specially curated offers with interactive elements like product carousels and chatbots.  

Here are a few statistics from their campaign:  

• Impressive read rate: The RCS campaign had a 75% read rate, which was three times higher than their traditional email campaigns.  
• More redirections: The RCS campaign had three times more redirections to their website than Rich SMS.  
• More downloads: Another RCS campaign drove three times more downloads of loyalty cards than a traditional SMS one.  

Clearly, Printemps’ RCS campaign proved to be highly effective in driving engagement during the holiday season. 

When Europe’s leading skincare brand, Clarins, learned that Apple had started to support RCS on iOS devices, they teamed up with Sinch to test the technology for their holiday campaign. 

Here’s how RCS helped Clarins boost customer engagement:  

• Increased interactivity: One of their RCS campaigns received a 79% read rate and a 22% click-through rate (CTR). 
• Enhanced performance: Another RCS campaign generated a 76% read rate and 11% CTR — which was double the CTR of a similar Rich SMS message they sent as part of the same campaign. 

Clearly, RCS empowered Clarins to connect with customers more effectively than traditional messaging, showcasing the potential of richer messaging channels. 

BUT, a leading home furnishing retailer in France, used several different messaging channels to seamlessly connect with customers, strategically growing their WhatsApp opt-in base with RCS. 

Here are a few statistics and facts from BUT’s omnichannel marketing campaign:  

• Through the roof CTR: One RCS campaign boasted a click-through-rate of 13.3%. 
• Doubled ROI: BUT doubled their ROI compared to traditional channels.  
• Successful omnichannel strategy: Using these channels to the best of their abilities, BUT increased its WhatsApp customer base by 123%!  

When you make RCS part of your omnichannel marketing strategy, it clearly becomes a powerful tool for helping to enhance customer engagement and driving conversions.  

RCS messaging is transforming communications, and will continue doing so beyond 2025. With more users, innovative features, and its proven track record, RCS gives businesses new opportunities to connect with their audience and fuel growth. 

Looking ahead, the possibilities for RCS are endless, and businesses that embrace the technology will stand to gain.  

Ready to make the most out of RCS? Download the complete State of RCS in customer communications report to get industry-specific insights.  

Or, if you’re ready to integrate RCS into your business strategy, let’s chat. Our team is excited to help you harness the power of this messaging channel to elevate customer engagement and drive success.  

Author: Megan Libby Megan is a Sr. Content Marketing Manager at Sinch, leading thought leadership and content initiatives around SMS/MMS, RCS, and omnichannel messaging topics.

Co-author: Isabella Rahm Isabella, a Product Marketing Manager at Sinch, focuses on RCS and rich messaging. She simplifies complex ideas, crafting product narratives that help businesses enhance customer communication.