Say Goodbye To Green Bubbles: Apple To Introduce RCS Messaging On iPhones In 2024

Apple is finally embracing support for the Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging standard after years of alleged reluctance to do so. This information comes from a report by 9to5Mac, according to which the transition will take effect starting next year. The most important thing to note, however, is that much of this feature will be implemented via a software update planned for later next year, which is not yet available.

The report states that this decision is in response to constant pressure from companies, industries and competitors. “Later next year, we will add support for the RCS Universal Profile standard, which is the standard currently published by the GSM Association,” 9to5Mac quoted Apple as saying. Apple added: “We believe the RCS Universal Profile offers better compatibility than SMS or MMS. This works together with iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure communication experience for Apple users.”

The key word here is “next to”. RCS is not a replacement for iMessage; it exists alongside iMessage to allow messages sent to non-iOS devices to go through the new RCS pipeline instead of SMS technology. This is why RCS support doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple changes the color of text bubbles.

In the larger context, RCS support on Apple devices has been a long time coming, with many competitors such as Samsung and Google already offering similar features on their Android devices. Faced with regulatory pressure and responding to user demands, Apple has finally embraced RCS.

Once enabled on iPhones, this feature brings along basic information such as read receipts, write detectors, and the ability to send HD videos, among other features. In addition, RCS allows users to share their location with others, and this technology does not require text messaging service.