Big news for iPhone users: Apple is finally adding RCS text messaging support to iPhones in 2024! This means the long-standing difference between green and blue message bubbles, indicating whether you’re texting an iPhone or Android, is going away.
What exactly is RCS messaging and its significance? Essentially, it’s an updated texting method that resolves the difficulties encountered when sending texts from an iPhone to an Android device. With this, you can send images of great quality, respond to messages quickly, and take advantage of features that ideally should have been present before, particularly as Apple had no intentions of making iMessage available for Android devices.
An Apple spokesperson told 9to5Mac that they’re working on adding RCS messaging to iPhones by 2024. This will improve how messages work across different platforms. However, if you mostly use other messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Signal, etc., this change might not affect you much. And yes, Apple plans to keep the green bubble texts for RCS messages.
Don’t worry, iMessage isn’t disappearing. It’s still the best option for texting between Apple devices. And there are many benefits to RCS messaging, which is why it’s already on almost every Android phone. You’ll be able to:
- Send high-quality images and videos
- Use it over cellular or WiFi
- React to messages easily
- Use all emojis
- Enjoy support from major network carriers
- See who’s read your messages
- Get typing indicators and read receipts
- Create group chats
- Send GIFs in conversations
- Have better security, as RCS is the industry standard
Anticipate that iPhones will begin supporting RCS messaging with the upcoming iOS update, which is expected to be released around September of the following year.
