In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe.
In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall of 2024." This timeframe suggests that RCS support will be added to the iPhone with iOS 18, which should be available in beta in June and released in September. At the latest, support should be added in iOS 18.1, which is likely to be released in October.
RCS support should result in the following improvements in the Messages app for conversations between iPhones and Android smartphones:
Higher-resolution photos and videos
Audio messages
Typing indicators
Read receipts
Wi-Fi messaging
Improved group chats, including the ability for iPhone users to leave a conversation that includes Android users
These modern features are already available for iMessage, and in many third-party messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram. RCS support on the iPhone will extend the features to green bubbles in the Messages app.
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android devices is coming in iOS 26.5, Apple confirmed today. The feature is listed in Apple's iOS 26.5 release notes.
Apple says end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging remains in beta even though it is being released in iOS 26.5. The feature is available with supported carriers and will roll out over time, and for conversations to ...
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android devices is officially available, Apple confirmed today. Support is included in iOS 26.5, which is now available to everyone.
End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging is available in a beta capacity, even though it is in the launch version of iOS 26.5. The feature is available with supported carriers and will roll out over...
Google today previewed Android 17, the next version of Android that it is bringing to smartphones and other devices. Android 17 includes multiple new AI features, and it comes about a month ahead of when Apple plans to unveil iOS 27 with new AI capabilities.
Google is now calling the AI features on Android "Gemini Intelligence," branding similar to Apple Intelligence. Google said it is...
It’s sad that sites like The Verge and WSJ turned this into a green bubble social status thing for clicks instead of explaining what the actual issue is. This notion that teens have social anxiety because they show up as a green bubble on their friends phone is ridiculous. But annoyance because their group chat experience isn’t as good? That’s legit. I’m glad Apple is going to make that experience better.
Sounds like it will be RCS support but not full RCS functionality. Even without E2EE it is positive step.
Apple will be looking to standardize an E2EE solution rather than use Google's proprietary extensions. Really, Google is making this about themselves right now when it needs to be about an open standard.
