Everything to know about Apple RCS support in 2026

After years of relying on SMS and MMS to send messages between iPhone and Android devices, Apple took a major step in modernizing cross-platform messaging by rolling out support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) towards the end of 2024. RCS brings high-quality media sharing, read receipts, typing indicators, and other interactive features for Apple users texting Android users, and vice versa.

For businesses, Apple RCS support opens the door for the ability to turn simple text messaging from random numbers into a branded, verified experience. Unlike SMS, which is limited to 160 characters of plain text per message, RCS supports rich business messaging features and offers a more secure, engaging way for brands and their customers to communicate.

This article breaks down everything we know about Apple’s RCS rollout, including timeline, supported features, what iOS 26 and later has in store, and the implications for both users and businesses.

Remember when Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested a reporter should buy his mom an iPhone rather than Apple adopt RCS? That was then. This is now.

For years, Apple resisted the RCS messaging standard, sticking instead with its iMessage ecosystem and ensuring a distinct – and occasionally frustrating – divide between green and blue bubbles. Basically, blue messages on an iPhone meant messages were sent via iMessage, which included high-quality media, read receipts, end-to-end encryption, and seamless group chats. And green bubbles? They represented SMS sent from Android phones and other non-iOS devices, with compressed images, clunky group chats, no encryption across devices, and no advanced features.

That changed in late 2023, when Apple confirmed in 9to5Mac that they’d support the RCS Universal Profile sometime in 2024. Their statement signaled a significant shift, promising a “better interoperability experience” compared to traditional SMS or MMS.

At WWDC 2024, Apple confirmed its Messages app would support RCS in the iOS 18 update in fall 2024.

Why the change of heart? Apple hasn’t shared. But as The Verge reported in June 2024, “Apple was largely forced to support RCS in response to the mounting pressure from global regulators and competing companies.”

Apple officially introduced native person-to-person (P2P) RCS messaging support in some markets with the launch of iOS 18 in September 2024. Here’s what that looked like for iPhone users in iOS 18:

• A more modern messaging experience: Texting between iPhone and Android devices includes features like read receipts, voice recordings, typing indicators, encryption in transit, the ability to send large media files, and reactions.
• Upgraded green text bubbles: RCS messages on iPhone still display as green bubbles, but the messaging experience now includes read receipts, rich media, and reactions.
• Availability is carrier- and market-dependent: Apple’s RCS implementation requires specific carrier support and is only available in specific markets. If RCS is not available, the message will be sent as SMS.
• RCS for Business rollout: Apple began testing RCS for Business in partnership with select operators in select regions in iOS 18.1, working with specific operators to enable branded RCS messages on iPhone. Since then, more markets and carriers have come available.

Apple jumped ahead from iOS 18 in 2024 to iOS 26 in 2025, which signaled a milestone release that reshapes how people receive both messages and calls.

Here’s what’s changed since then:

Messaging and calling updates in iOS 26 and later

• An “Unknown senders” filter: Messages from unsaved numbers can be routed to a separate folder without generating any lock screen notifications or message previews. This feature is optional and turned off by default for most users (except for initial rollouts in select countries).
• Priority for time-sensitive messages: Messages deemed time-sensitive, such as one-time passwords, appointment confirmations, or delivery alerts, can temporarily bypass the “Screen Unknown Senders” filter and will remain visible in the main conversation list for one hour, even if they’re from an unknown number.
• SMS spam folder: A new spam folder for SMS messages will help filter out malicious texts. Verified sender IDs and short codes will be more important than ever to maintain trust and visibility.
• Call screening: Unknown callers must state their name and reason before the iPhone rings, with a live transcript shown.
• Voicemail spam reporting: A new “Report Spam” button lets users flag junk voicemails directly in the Phone app.
• Encryption: In May 2026, Apple started rolling out end-to-end (E2EE) RCS encryption in beta for cross-platform messaging between iPhone users running iOS 26.5 (with supported carriers) and Android users on the latest version of Google Messages. This ensures messages can’t be read while in transit between devices.

What else coming for RCS in iOS

Beyond end-to-end encryption, we expect RCS on iPhone to catch up to many iMessage-style features, like:

• In-line replies
• Edit messages
• Unsend messages
• Full tapback support

For now, Apple’s support for RCS messaging is limited to certain carriers in markets that have been selected by Apple, and who have also gone through Apple’s required testing.

Person-to-person (P2P) RCS is currently supported on one or more carriers in many markets, and RCS for Business is also available in some cases.

For the latest availability, check out Apple’s support page for Europe, U.S./Canada, and APAC.

Clearly, Apple’s RCS rollout is picking up speed, and with each iOS update, the list of supported carriers and regions is growing – that’s a strong signal that RCS on iPhones is here to stay!

If you have iOS 18 or later in one of the regions above from a participating carrier, you can enable RCS in your iPhone’s Messages settings.

Once it’s on, you’ll get a richer messaging experience when texting Android users – with read receipts, typing indicators, and high-resolution media sharing. Look for the label “Text Message • RCS” in the message field to know it’s working.

So, we’ve talked about Apple’s support for peer-to-peer RCS – but what about business messaging?

With the release of iOS 18.1 in October 2024, Apple started supporting RCS for Business messaging (previously called “RCS Business Messaging” or “RBM”) on iPhones in select markets with specific carriers. In those markets (which we review below), businesses can send rich, branded messages directly to customers’ mobile inboxes on both iPhones and Androids.

With Apple rolling out both RCS and RCS for Business support in select markets, it’s important to understand the difference – and why Apple supporting both matters.

• RCS is designed for person-to-person communication, offering users rich chat features like high-quality images, videos, reactions, and typing indicators, all within a user’s native mobile inbox.
• RCS for Business is designed for rich, branded, and more secure messages to flow from businesses to consumers. Think verified sender profiles, carousels, and suggested replies – delivered directly to a user’s phone’s default messaging app.

In short, RCS enhances everyday texting between users, while RCS for Business transforms how businesses connect with their audiences.

Up until 2024, these capabilities were only available on Android smartphones. But now, with Apple in the mix, businesses will have an even better opportunity to reach a much broader audience.

RCS for Business looks and behaves a little different on iPhones than on Android but the basic features are the same. 

Check out the video to see RCS for Business in action on iPhone.

While we don’t have a confirmed timeline for additional features or expanded market support, we know Apple has agreed to support updates to Universal Profile and that many businesses are excited by RCS for Business because of the richer experience it provides, more comparable to WhatsApp’s business solutions or Apple Messages for Business than SMS.

As of now, RCS for Business on iPhones is only available in select markets with certain carriers. And even in regions where RCS is live, not all carriers support it the same way. Some may support full business messaging (A2P), while others still don’t offer it at all.

In short: Whether your business can send RCS messages to your customers’ Apple devices depends on two things:

• Where your customers are
• Which carrier they use

The map below shows regions where RCS for Business is supported in some capacity.

If your business operates in the U.S., you’re probably wondering about various carriers’ support. The answer? Most U.S. carriers, including the biggest three, support RCS for Business on both iPhones and Android devices. And more are joining all the time.

And once a carrier supports RCS for Business, the messages just work – there’s no extra setup required by the user. Devices that have RCS enabled will automatically receive verified, branded business messages in their native messaging app.

Ready to get going with RCS? Great – you’ve got options.

Many businesses start by upgrading their existing SMS messages to RCS where it’s supported, while still delivering SMS when RCS text messaging isn’t available. It’s a simple, low-lift way to introduce secure, branded messaging into your existing workflows.

Others use tools like Conversation API or Sinch Engage to launch branded messaging experiences straight away.

In either case, before getting started, you’ll need to launch an RCS Agent and get approved by Google and/or a carrier. This process depends on the carriers in your market.

Apple’s adoption of RCS and RCS for Business on iPhones is a big leap forward for messaging, with the potential to bring better messaging experiences to the two biggest mobile operating systems in the world.

We’re closely monitoring how Apple continues to roll out RCS messaging support and will keep you updated as we learn more. However it plays out, though, Apple’s support for RCS means you can expect more robust, feature-rich communication possibilities. The good news? You can rest assured that our platform is ready for this change.

In the meantime, here are some resources for you to learn more about RCS:

• Types of RCS for Business messages and how to use them
• RCS security: Your questions, answered
• How to make a compelling business case for RCS [Guide]
• An enterprise guide to sending RCS messages via API
• RCS and the customer journey: Transforming connections at every step

And if you’re ready to start with RCS, Sinch can help. Contact us to speak with a member of our team about how you can create a conversational messaging strategy your customers will love!

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.