iPhone + RCS

The iPhone speaks
RCS now

For years, RCS was an Android-only story. That changed with iOS 18: Apple brought RCS to the iPhone. For the first time, your branded, rich business messages reach iPhone and Android - from a single campaign, in the Messages app your customers already use.

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What changed iMessage vs RCS What it means for you FAQ
The shift

Apple brought RCS to the iPhone

With iOS 18, Apple added support for RCS - the modern successor to SMS - directly into the iPhone's Messages app. Where it used to fall back to plain SMS between iPhone and Android, the conversation can now run on RCS instead.

For businesses, that's the headline: RCS Business Messaging is no longer Android-only. Your verified sender, Rich Cards, buttons and read receipts can now land on iPhone too.

  • iPhone & Android can now exchange RCS instead of SMS/MMS
  • No app for your customers - it's built into the Messages app
  • Rollout is carrier-led - availability grows network by network
SMS
Before
RCS to Android, plain SMS to iPhone
iOS 18
The change
Apple adds RCS to the iPhone
Now
Rich RCS to iPhone & Android alike
Clearing up the confusion

Is RCS the same as iMessage?

Short answer: no. iMessage is Apple's private chat between Apple devices. RCS is the open, cross-platform upgrade to SMS - and it's what businesses use to reach everyone.

iMessage

Apple's own protocol - the "blue bubbles" between iPhones, iPads and Macs.

  • • Apple devices only
  • • Person-to-person, not a business channel
  • • Invisible to Android users
For business: not available

SMS

The universal lowest common denominator - works on every phone, but plain.

  • • 160 characters, text only
  • • Anonymous number, no branding
  • • No buttons, media or analytics
For business: fallback only
FOR BUSINESS

RCS

The cross-platform upgrade to SMS - now on iPhone and Android.

  • Verified brand name & logo
  • Images, carousels & buttons
  • Read receipts & analytics
For business: the channel to use

RCS messages arrive in the same Messages inbox as iMessage and SMS - your customers don't install or learn anything new.

What it means for you

One campaign, both platforms

Reaching iPhone users used to mean dropping to plain SMS for a big share of your list. Not anymore.

A far bigger RCS audience

iPhones make up roughly a third of smartphones in Europe. Adding them to RCS dramatically widens the share of your list that gets the rich experience.

No separate iPhone channel

You don't build for iOS and Android separately. One RCS message through the SendRCS API renders on both - and falls back to SMS where RCS isn't available yet.

Your brand on iPhone too

iPhone users now see your verified name, logo and badge instead of an anonymous number - the same trust signal Android users already got.

Rich Cards on iPhone too

Images, product carousels and tap-to-action buttons render right inside the iPhone Messages app - no more stripped-down SMS for Apple users.

100% reach, still guaranteed

While RCS rolls out across carriers and devices, anyone who can't yet receive it gets your message as SMS automatically. You never lose a recipient.

Set up once, grow automatically

As more carriers enable RCS on iPhone, more of your traffic upgrades from SMS to RCS on its own - no extra work on your side.

See it on iPhone

The same rich message, now on Apple devices

This is an RCS Business Message: verified sender, a product image, a discount badge and tap-to-action buttons. Until recently, an iPhone user would have received a plain SMS link instead. Now they get the full card - right in Messages.

Explore RCS message types
An RCS Business Message rendered on a phone - verified sender, product image, discount badge and action buttons
FAQ

iPhone & RCS, answered

Does the iPhone support RCS?

Yes. Since iOS 18, the iPhone can send and receive RCS in the Messages app. Availability depends on the mobile carrier, and support has been expanding network by network.

Is RCS the same as iMessage?

No. iMessage is Apple's private messaging service between Apple devices (the blue bubbles). RCS is the open, cross-platform successor to SMS that works between iPhone and Android. Businesses use RCS - not iMessage - to send branded, rich messages.

Will my RCS campaigns now reach iPhone users?

Yes. With SendRCS, the same message reaches iPhone and Android wherever RCS is available. For any recipient who can't receive RCS yet, it's delivered automatically as SMS - so you keep 100% reach.

Do my customers have to install or enable anything?

No app to download - RCS is built into the Messages app they already use. On supported iPhones and carriers it works out of the box, and your message simply arrives richer and branded.

What happens if a phone doesn't support RCS yet?

The message is delivered as SMS instead - automatically. Our SMS gateway handles the fallback so every recipient is reached, with no manual work.

Learn more

Go deeper on RCS

RCS vs SMS

Why RCS is everything SMS should have been - the full head-to-head.

RCS Messaging

Every RCS message type: Rich Cards, Carousels, Buttons and more.

SMS Gateway

Automatic SMS fallback so you reach 100% of your customers, every time.

Reach iPhone and Android with one message

Now that the iPhone speaks RCS, your branded, rich messages reach nearly everyone - with SMS fallback for the rest. Send your first message in minutes.

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