RCS (Rich Communication Services) is essentially the modern evolution of SMS, designed to bring messaging into the smartphone era. Here are the key differences:

SMS limitations:

• 160 character limit per message
• Text-only (or basic MMS for media)
• No read receipts, typing indicators, or delivery confirmations
• No encryption
• Works over cellular networks only

RCS advantages:

• Much longer message limits (up to 8000 characters)
• Rich media support (high-res photos, videos, audio messages)
• Read receipts and typing indicators
• Group messaging features
• Works over Wi-Fi or cellular data
• End-to-end encryption (when both parties support it)
• Interactive features like quick replies and suggested actions

Current state: RCS adoption has been somewhat fragmented. Google has been the biggest pusher, integrating it into Android Messages. Apple finally announced RCS support for iPhones starting with iOS 18, though they’re implementing it selectively. Carriers have had varying levels of support.

The main challenge has been the network effect – RCS features only work when both sender and receiver support it, otherwise it falls back to SMS.

– manzoor