Apple is finally adding RCS support to its Messages app, but the bubbles are still green.
RCS on iPhone: What it Means for Android Users! (Explained)
In iOS 18, the iPhone can finally send and receive RCS (Rich Communication Services) messages. RCS is a replacement for SMS, and has been supported on Android phones for ages. At first glance, it may seem like RCS on the iPhone is purely for the convenience of those Android-using friends, but as we’ll see, it’ll be a huge improvement for iPhone owners too, making cross-platform chats feel much like iPhone-to-iPhone chats, with one big (possible) exception…
"RCS, or Rich Communication Services, significantly improves the messaging experience for iPhone users communicating with Android users. Unlike SMS and MMS, RCS will enable features like sending high-resolution media, typing indicators, and read receipts for iPhone users communicating with Android users. This means iPhone users will no longer have to deal with tiny, grainy photos and videos from Android friends; instead, they can enjoy high-quality images and videos," Ryan Frye, an expert in smartphone data discovery and digital forensics, told Lifewire via email. "Additionally, RCS supports messages sent over Wi-Fi and cellular data, eliminating the character limits of traditional SMS."
Green bubbles get a bad rap, and apparently teens using iPhones are using them to shame their peers using cheaper Android phones. But teens will shame their peers for anything and everything, and those green bubbles have a legitimate purpose.
