What is RCS messaging? Google’s communication chat protocol explained

If SMS had been invented today, it probably wouldn’t be limited to 160 characters of plain text, and you wouldn’t need MMS just to send a picture. Instead, you’d probably end up with something a lot closer to Rich Communication Services (RCS), a messaging protocol built for the smartphone era with rich media, tappable buttons, branded messages for business messaging, and more. So, what is RCS messaging, and why is it taking off now?

RCS has been around for a while (since 2006, actually), but it’s now hitting its stride. With support from Android, carriers worldwide, and even Apple support in some markets, RCS is living up to its promise: making messaging smarter, more secure, and way more interactive.

So, what does that mean for your business? Better engagement and sales, more trust, and conversations that actually drive action – all in your customers’ native messaging inboxes.

RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a messaging protocol developed by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) as the evolution of SMS. An RCS message supports rich chat features like high-res images and videos, rich cards, suggested replies, branded sender information, and real-time indicators like “typing…” and “read.” Best of all, RCS messaging delivers these interactive experiences directly to a user’s native mobile messaging inbox on Android and Apple devices, meaning there’s no third-party app required.

For users, RCS means better conversations. For businesses, RCS means you can deliver sleek, branded, app-like experiences straight to your customers’ native text inboxes. Think order confirmations with maps, product carousels, or even full two-way conversations with customer support. And because businesses can struggle with getting users to download and regularly use their mobile apps, RCS can help reduce that friction by bringing app-like functionality directly into the messaging experience.

In 2025, RCS has over one and a half billion monthly active users, and its reach is still growing, thanks to expanding support by Apple and mobile operators.

_{RCS is a type of mobile messaging, but it’s more interactive, engaging, and secure than SMS. Watch the full video for everything you need to know about this “next generation” of text messaging.}

Sinch’s Robert Gerstmann said that one of the potential powers of RCS is that it can replace apps altogether. While that may sound radical, it’s possible. Many of the most common uses of apps (checking balances, placing orders) could be handled with rich messaging. Plus, the process for a company to get verified to use RCS builds consumer trust, making them more likely to engage on that channel.

For years, RCS was largely an Android thing, supported by Google and carriers around the world, but conspicuously absent from iPhones. That finally changed in September 2024, when Apple rolled out RCS support in iOS 18 for person-to-person (P2P) messaging, starting in select markets with carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

While Apple was initially slow to support RCS, they eventually acknowledged its benefits for cross-platform communication.

Sinch’s Robert Gerstmann shared how the impact of Apple’s support is already becoming clear.

And in iOS 18.1, Apple began expanding support for the application-to-person (A2P) version of RCS, known as RCS for Business (formerly “RBM”) in select markets with certain operators. As more carriers adopt RCS messaging, its growth is expected to accelerate even more. That’s good news for businesses looking to reach customers with messaging that’s more interactive, trusted, and effective – no matter what phone they use.

RCS has full coverage in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and India. Other countries offer full support via Google’s RCS services or partial support, with a selection of local mobile operators providing RCS.

When it comes to RCS for Business, coverage depends on a mix of mobile carrier support and regional rollout, especially as Apple gradually expands availability.

Here’s the kicker: Android accounts for over 70% of the global smartphone market. So even if you’re waiting for full iPhone support in your region, there’s already a massive audience you can reach today with rich, branded messaging that goes far beyond what SMS can do.

To understand the differences between an RCS message and text messaging, it might be helpful to first understand the differences between MMS and SMS.

While SMS is simple and reliable, it’s limited to 160 characters per message. MMS messages add the ability to send multimedia attachments, but RCS offers a much more interactive user experience. And that’s because RCS messages work with other elements of a smartphone, like a web browser or maps, to create way more engaging conversations.

Is RCS going to replace traditional SMS? Not exactly. RCS runs on a mobile data connection or Wi-Fi, meaning SMS will still kick in when there’s no internet – just like iMessage will fall back to SMS when needed.

And unlike over-the-top (OTT) apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, RCS doesn’t require users to download anything or create a new account. RCS works within the native messaging app that’s built into different devices.

Here’s a quick chart for you to reference that compares SMS/MMS and RCS for a few common factors.

	SMS/MMS	RCS
Network	Cellular network infrastructure	Mobile data or Wi-Fi
Content	Text (160 character limit) and basic media (MMS)	High-quality media, files, emojis, and rich content like images, videos, GIFs, and more
Features	Basic; no typing indicators nor read receipts	Typing indicators, read receipts, group chats, and more
Complexity	Simple, universally supported	More complex (due to carrier and device compatibility), but way more powerful and feature-rich

What does RCS do better than SMS? Well, just about everything! Where SMS is limited to plain text and links, RCS offers features like:

• Better security: RCS messages encrypted in transit, and in some cases, like RCS chats in Google Messages, they’re protected with end-to-end encryption.

• Higher text limits: SMS messages are limited to 160 characters, while text portions of RCS messages are limited to 3072 characters.
• High-resolution images and videos: Grab attention with gorgeous high-resolution photos and videos, GIFs, carousels, and other dynamic features right in the native messaging app.
• Larger file sizes: Send images up to 2 MB and videos up to 10 MB in size.
• Message reactions and typing indicators: Just like in modern messaging apps, RCS supports reactions (like thumps up or hearts) and shows when someone is typing. These features are available on both Android and iOS, and for cross-device messaging.
• Read receipts: If the recipient has their read receipts enabled, you’ll see the word “Read” along with the time they read your RCS message.
• Cross-app connectivity: Send messages that open in browsers, maps, and other applications.
• Easy, one-tap replies: RCS for Business messages make it easy to reply to messages with one tap with suggested replies.
• Group chats: Connect securely in group messages with friends, family, and team members without requiring another chat app.
• Google Wallet integration: Provides a quicker and easier way to access everyday essentials.

If you have iOS 18 and your carrier supports RCS on iPhone, you can enable it in your iPhone’s Message settings.

Once it’s on, you’ll get a more modern experience when messaging Android users – including features like read receipts and typing indicators. When you’re sending an RCS message from your Apple device, you’ll see the words “Text Message • RCS” in the message field, confirming it’s active.

All new Android devices come with RCS chat built in. Here’s how you turn it on in Google Messages:

• Open Google Messages on your device
• Tap your profile picture in the top right, then select Message settings
• Tap RCS chats
• Turn RCS chats on

Note that you may need to verify your phone number before RCS is enabled.

RCS lets you build more engaging content and provide a better customer experience for those with RCS-enabled devices. Time and time again, RCS for Business has been proven to lead to higher cart values, more conversions, and higher engagement than any other type of mobile messaging.

Once you’re verified and live, here’s what businesses love most about using RCS:

• Verified brand identity: RCS messages display your business name, logo, and verified status so customers always know exactly who they’re talking to. This makes it ideal for it ideal for sensitive messages like one-time passwords, which can be sent as RCS OTPs.
• No extra downloads: All new Android devices have built-in RCS, so messages from verified businesses can go to the native messaging inbox instead of needing a separate app.
• Rich, interactive features: From image carousels and videos to reply buttons and suggested actions, you can keep users engaged – and guide them toward the next step – without sending them elsewhere.
• Smarter analytics: Handset delivery receipts, open rates, and read rates give you more in-depth information about the status of messages. This makes A/B testing and campaign optimization easier – and more effective.
• Reliable fallbacks: If someone doesn’t have RCS (or a mobile data plan to support it),your message can still be delivered as SMS, MMS, or apps like WhatsApp if you send via a tool like Conversation API. In short, your messages will always get to your customers, one way or another.

_{Ready to capture your audience’s attention? Listen as Miriam Liszewski, Sinch’s RCS Commercial Product Manager, gives six quick ideas for what businesses can do with RCS messaging.}

Like most other kinds of marketing and support, the ability to grow your business using RCS is only limited by your imagination and your budget.

It’s good to remember just how powerful these messages can be — do you know any other form of outreach that’s as big a part of your customers’ daily routine as their text inbox? Neither do we.

Provide up-to-the-minute information on sales and promotions tailored to a customer’s tastes. With the added functionality of RCS, you can send them to your website, or give them directions to your location. You can even have them choose what they want and order it right from your message!

Here’s a real-life example: Macif, an insurance company with over five million policy holders in France, used RCS to have two-way conversations.

Macif’s campaign re-engaged contacts and increased campaign click-through-rate by 100%!

RCS allows your customers to engage with a conversational service (including live support or AI chatbots), for instance, to schedule or change appointments. You can also provide directions, sports scores, and shipping updates as they happen.

RCS takes traditional account alerts to the next level with verified sender information, branding, and more. Think branded fraud alerts, payment confirmations, or service reminders that land in your customers’ native text message inboxes.

Case in point: EasyPark Group, the world leader in digital parking, uses RCS texts to send real-time parking alerts, complete with their logo and a verified check mark. If a user’s device doesn’t support RCS, it falls back to SMS automatically.

Personalization is one of the most important parts of any communication or marketing strategy. In fact, in a consumer survey we conducted during Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) 2024, 79.8% of consumers said they value personalized recommendations. And RCS makes personalized messaging feel like a conversation, especially when product suggestions are tailored to past purchases, preferences, or behavior.

Here’s another real-world RCS messaging example at work: Picard used an RCS campaign to lift sales and win customer loyalty. They created a conversational RCS experience that helped their customers imagine their holiday menus, taking into account dietary preferences, budget considerations, and even their desire to cook.

_{Watch the video to learn how Picard use RCS to personalize their customers’ shopping experiences.}

Their campaign achieved great results, with a 42% increase in customer engagement and 10% more clicks to the website than Rich SMS.

A good RCS strategy is similar to SMS, push notification, and other mobile strategies. But it’s also different because it combines a lot of the features found in other channels into one.

Don’t send RCS messages without a specific purpose. Whether you’re giving access to a sale or sending an account alert, you need to make every message actionable. Luckily, the advanced features of RCS let you create powerful CTAs. Segmenting messages by type is a good place to start:

• Informational messages: These can be fraud alerts, account balances, 2FA messages, or any other communication that provides information customers have asked for or need to be aware of.
• Marketing or transactional messages: With these messages, you can invite customers to a sale, follow up on an abandoned cart, or help them with a purchase or return.

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. But there’s nothing that says you can’t (or shouldn’t) make your relevant, useful messages look and work better. That’s a good way to think of an RCS campaign — a souped-up version of an SMS or email campaign that takes full advantage of new, rich features.

Combine CRM data, chat and order histories, and the results of customer surveys to build profiles that paint a fuller picture of who your customers are. From there, your team can devise and implement RCS marketing and support strategies.

It’s clear that RCS can be a powerful tool for building trust and boosting engagement. But remember, even with both Android and iPhone users having RCS, the real magic will happen when you use RCS as part of a bigger, well-orchestrated omnichannel strategy.

The key? Consistency. Many mobile messaging channels support branded sender features, so make sure your tone, visuals, and messaging align across platforms to reinforce who you are.

RCS isn’t here to replace your other channels – it’s here to amplify them. Use it where it makes sense, and let it do what it does best.

RCS is set to take a major leap forward in 2025. Apple has confirmed that end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging will be available in a future iOS update – potentially as soon as iOS 19 is released, which is expected in September 2025. According to Tom Van Pelt, the Technical Director at GSMA, this would make RCS the “first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers.”

And at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, Google’s Josh Pepper doubled down on spam protection, saying the RCS team is tapping into the same learnings that have powered Gmail’s spam protections to keep RCS chats clean and secure. Already, 9to5Google has reported an “Unsubscribe” feature is being added to RCS in the Google Messages app.

Meanwhile, RCS adoption continues to rise across both consumers and enterprises. At Sinch, that growth is already tangible – by mid-November 2024, we had already delivered over one billion RCS for Business messages – and that was before Black Friday and the holiday season had hit.

What’s the best way to start out strong with this exciting new channel?

1. Research how others in your field are using RCS. If your competitors aren’t using the channel, take the plunge and get in on the ground floor of what’s almost guaranteed to become one of the most powerful tools in the upcoming years.
2. Find and register your RCS Agent. An RCS Agent is your official business identity within the RCS ecosystem. Sinch makes it easy to get started with this in Conversation API, which you can also use to also add other channels and scale as needed.
3. Build a strategy. Use your data and previous messaging use cases to build better support, marketing, and sales processes. Sinch makes it easy to automate customer care and conversations for improved efficiency and better CX.  
4. A/B test your strategies. Once you’ve implemented new strategies, test them out. Start with a small group to iron out any major headaches and then expand out. Capture as much data as you can to inform future decisions.
5. Roll them out and refine them. Keep improving your strategies as you gain more experience and let customers tell you directly what they’d like to see in your messages. 

As RCS messaging continues to gain ground, you can make great strides with this channel. Download our comprehensive RCS guide which will walk you through how to make the case to bring RCS into your organization.

And when you’re ready to talk all things conversational messaging and RCS, let’s chat. Our team is ready to help you build a great messaging experience that your customers will love!