Apple on Monday released iOS 18 to the public, and one of the new features is support for Rich Communications Services, or RCS, in the Messages app. However, RCS support must be enabled by each carrier, and a page on Apple’s website lists which carriers already provide RCS support on the iPhone.
Apple webpage details carriers that have enabled RCS on iPhone
The company has updated its Wireless Carrier Support webpage to include which carriers support RCS on the iPhone with iOS 18. From day one, RCS works with the major US carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Some carriers in Canada, Europe, and Asia also provide RCS support for iOS users.
With RCS, iPhone users can send rich messages with audio and larger media files to Android users. RCS also has read receipts, something that was previously exclusive to iMessage and other instant messaging apps. Although RCS messages still have green bubbles, the Messages app will show the label “Text Message – RCS” in the conversation.
However, as we reported in June, carriers must work with Apple to roll out an updated carrier bundle that enables RCS support to their customers with iPhones. During the iOS 18 beta period, these updates could only be shipped with new iOS builds, but that’s no longer necessary. Users can expect more carriers to add RCS support in the following months.
If you’ve already updated your iPhone to iOS 18 and, you can try enabling RCS by going to Settings > Apps > Messages. If you don’t see this option, your carrier probably doesn’t support RCS on iPhone yet.
iOS 18 is now available to download and requires an iPhone XR or later. You can update your iPhone by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
