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RCS

The phone's own messaging app, upgraded with brand names, images and buttons.

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RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the mobile industry's successor to SMS, defined by the GSMA. In its business form, messages arrive in the phone's built-in messaging app from a verified brand, with a logo, images, carousels and suggested replies. It reaches only phones and networks that support it, so every RCS programme also needs an SMS fallback for everyone else. iPhone has supported RCS since iOS 18 in September 2024, in the markets and on the networks where it is offered, and iPhone users can switch RCS business messages off in Settings.

Start with the 101RCS 101: the whole pictureHistory, how it works, where it is used, what it costs, the rules, its limits, and when to choose it, with every claim sourced.Read the 101

Need help implementing this? Ask members who have done it.

What matters when choosing

  • Support with brand verification and agent approval in each country and on each network.
  • A capability check before sending, with automatic fallback to SMS for phones that cannot receive RCS.
  • Clear reporting of which messages went as RCS and which fell back, and what each cost.
  • Coverage on the networks that matter to you, stated network by network rather than by country alone.

Questions to ask providers

  1. On which networks in our countries can you send business RCS today, and on which phones?
  2. How do you decide between RCS and SMS for each message, and can we see that decision in the logs?
  3. How long does brand and agent approval take, and who handles it?

Common mistakes

  • Designing only the rich version and treating the SMS fallback as an afterthought.
  • Assuming national coverage because one network or one phone platform supports it.
  • Assuming every RCS-capable iPhone receives your business messages; its owner can switch them off, so the SMS version must still arrive.

What it is good at

  • Branded, verified messages in the phone's default app.
  • Images, carousels and suggested replies without an extra app.
  • Upgrading an existing SMS programme rather than replacing it.

What to watch for

  • Reach that varies by network, phone and country.
  • Approval steps before your first message.
  • Two versions of every message to design and test.

How it is priced

Priced per message by type, typically a cheaper basic text message and a dearer rich message with media or buttons, and in some markets per conversation; rates are agreed with mobile networks, so they vary by country and network.

Sources GSMA ↗Google for Developers ↗Apple Support ↗

Typical channels: RCS SMS WhatsApp

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