Apple to Bring RCS Support to iPhone This Fall, Hints Google

Apple last year announced that it would support rich communication services (RCS) within iMessage sometime in 2024. While the iPhone maker has been silent about an exact launch date, Google just revealed the release timeframe for RCS on iOS through its new Google Messages Webpage. This indicates that Apple might extend RCS support in the upcoming iOS 18 update or around the launch of the iPhone 16 series. The adoption of RCS by Apple is expected to bring unity in cross-device messaging.

The official Android website has added a new landing page for Google Messages discussing the first-party messaging experience. The landing page has different sections for each feature set, including one for RCS. As per a report by 9to5Google, the page (now removed) notes that RCS on the iPhone is coming in the fall of 2024.

As spotted by the publication, the expansion of RCS features shows a label “Coming soon on iOS” under the subheading “Better messaging for all”. “Apple had announced it will be adopting RCS in the fall of 2024. Once that happens, it will mean a better messaging experience for everyone,” the description read.

If Apple is indeed aiming for a fall 2024 release for RCS support, that suggests that the next operating software — iOS 18 — could bring the new messaging standard in iOS. Apple usually releases major iOS updates in September around the launch of the new iPhone series.

Apple in November last year revealed that it is working on adding support for RCS and the compatibility would arrive in 2024 without specifying an exact timeline. The new RCS standard will work alongside iMessage and is likely to offer several messaging features like multimedia support, read receipts, typing indicators, and more. The adoption of RCS by Apple will enable cross-platform messaging between Android and iOS devices over mobile data or Wi-Fi networks.