I tried RCS messages between iPhone and Android: Here’s how it works

After countless ads and years of pleading with Google, RCS is finally coming to Apple’s Messages app. Right now, it’s only available as part of the second iOS 18 beta, ahead of the full rollout later this fall, but for brave beta testers, it’s really, really here. So I did what any good journalist would do (specifically one who uses Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile, since those are the only supported carriers)—I turned on my iPhone and texted the smartest person I know: my dad. After all, what could go wrong with explaining what I needed him to do when testing RCS for the first time in News? Surprisingly, almost nothing.

Before using my Android-using dad as an RCS guinea pig, I had to do a few things. The first was to let him know I was moving my phone number – a courtesy because he gets emails from Verizon every time I do that (sorry, Dad).

The second was to sign up for Apple’s developer program, pull an iPhone 14 Plus test unit out of retirement, and set it up with the latest iOS 18 beta. Those two steps took about three times as long as the rest of the process (including walking my dad through the various ways I needed to respond to messages).

Then it was time to jump into the RCS-powered future, and by that I mean flipping a switch in the Settings app. Seriously, that’s all there is to it now for beta testers of the latest build.

From there it was time to send my first RCS text message on the iPhone, so I thought I’d start with a simple message – a dig that Apple finally got the message. Then it was time to test some basics of RCS: the ability to respond to messages and send read receipts from Android to iOS. I asked my dad to respond to my first message and he gave me a thumbs up back – both my original message and my request for a response. Both responses appeared smoothly and immediately, which is a massive improvement over the generic SMS notification on iOS 17 and earlier, and much closer to what we see from Apple’s iMessage service between Apple devices.

I also noticed that I didn’t need to test read receipts via RCS – they are on by default. There also doesn’t seem to be a way to turn them off as there is only one switch for all the RCS settings so you are either in or out. Personally, I hope Apple adds the ability to toggle read receipts later, as I don’t usually use them, but it’s beta software after all.

Another major attraction of bringing RCS to Messages is the ability to send full-resolution videos and images from Android to iOS, just as you can with iMessage between iPhones. There is nothing worse than when a friend takes a great photo of you, only to send it to you in low resolution. So I asked my dad to send me a picture and a video clip, and he did it the way only a dad could – with a comic about beer making and a video of him checking the gutters of the house I grew up in.

Once I shook my head, I realized that they both went through exactly the same as if they were sent from another iPhone. The comic was crystal clear and the video felt much better than the Patterson-Gimlin resolution I often get when he sends me a clip. It’s a huge improvement over the SMS and MMS issues both sides were used to, and a sign that Google was probably right all along.

RCS on iPhones also lets you send stickers from your existing set and GIFs from Apple’s #images library, so I sent Dad one of each. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t seem to have ironed out the reactions to them just yet, as I got the dreaded “Thumbs up GIF” and “Thumbs up photo” in response. Interestingly, when I responded to the video my dad sent me, it was a thumbs up from me, but a basic text response on his end.

So the experience is not perfect yet. Yes, iOS 18 is still in development, but I encountered another surprising stutter while receiving video clips from my dad. While I had no problems opening and playing clips, there was no way to control them once they started playing. The play button disappears almost immediately, and Apple’s usual slider across the bottom edge is nowhere to be found. If I wanted to go back and stop at an earlier point in the clip, I’d have to swipe out and start again – not a huge problem in a 10-second clip, but very annoying for anything much longer.

So, there you have it – Apple has completely changed the messaging game by bringing RCS to messaging. We can finally have peace and harmony between Android and iOS, especially as both mobile platforms come closer and share more features than ever before. You can place apps anywhere on your iPhone’s home screen, change the color of icons, and respond to messages on other platforms. What else is there?

Sure, green bubbles still exist, so Android users will likely still face the stigma of choosing a Pixel or Galaxy device over an iPhone. That’s okay though. Now when you take a great photo of your friends with the Pixel 8 Pro or capture a video with 50x zoom on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can send them to your friends in original quality!

Cynicism and snark aside, bringing RCS to Messages feels great. Even though I don’t like automatic read receipts, I liked it when my dad responded to my messages without his response sending another text, and the typing indicator means I know he’s actually responding rather than doing the “dad thing “. Maybe someday Android users (like me usually) will finally stop being judged for having green text bubbles. Until then, this is sure to be a good start.

But what do you think? Will RCS on the iPhone end the green bubble bullying of Android users when it launches later this fall? Let us know in the poll below.