Select US carriers introduce support for RCS on iOS 18 beta

AppleInsider

The second developer beta of iOS 18 introduced a toggle for RCS in Messages, and now select US carriers have made RCS available to users running the beta.

RCS is now available on iOS 18 beta 2, but only through select US carriers

The introduction of RCS support from both Apple and carriers means that users will now have the option to send rich text messages with audio, read receipts, and media files to devices running Android. Users of social media platform X discovered the limited availability of this feature earlier on Tuesday.

As iOS 18 beta 2 only contains updated carrier bundles for three major US carriers -- AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon -- iPhone users will only be able to use RCS on these three networks for the time being. If your carrier supports RCS on iPhone, you can activate it by navigating to Settings > Apps > Messages and toggling the option for RCS.

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Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) and smaller carriers seemingly do not support this feature yet. This is likely to change in the near future as iOS 18 moves closer to its final release version, which is expected to debut in September of 2024.




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omasou

So all of the moaning this past year about how Apple doesn't support RCS but NO mention that it requires carrier support too.

netrox

I am guessing it's because it requires that text messages be stored on their data servers waiting for recipients to read and that requires a lot of resources which smaller carriers cannot afford? 

anonymouse

omasou said:

So all of the moaning this past year about how Apple doesn't support RCS but NO mention that it requires carrier support too.

Google inadvertently forgot to mention that. The contract employee responsible has been fired is no longer with the company.

yyzguy

omasou said:

So all of the moaning this past year about how Apple doesn't support RCS but NO mention that it requires carrier support too.

Well, if the carrier doesn’t support it, their Android users won’t be able to use RCS either.     

gatorguy

netrox said:

I am guessing it's because it requires that text messages be stored on their data servers waiting for recipients to read and that requires a lot of resources which smaller carriers cannot afford? 

In the US they are using Google Jibe servers

gatorguy

yyzguy said:

omasou said:

So all of the moaning this past year about how Apple doesn't support RCS but NO mention that it requires carrier support too.

Well, if the carrier doesn’t support it, their Android users won’t be able to use RCS either.     

The larger carriers, and all of the big US ones, all support RCS now, I'm assuming that the delay (minimal) was for the iPhone models to be tested and certified for RCS, and per carrier.

mike1

"As iOS 18 beta 2 only contains updated carrier bundles for three major US carriers -- AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon"

Only?!

That probably covers 99% of all US users.

What other carriers are there that don't use one of these networks?

gatorguy

mike1 said:

"As iOS 18 beta 2 only contains updated carrier bundles for three major US carriers -- AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon"

Only?!

That probably covers 99% of all US users.

What other carriers are there that don't use one of these networks?

LOL! I had missed that part. Those "select carriers" cover nearly 100% of the US market. 

anonymouse

gatorguy said:

netrox said:

I am guessing it's because it requires that text messages be stored on their data servers waiting for recipients to read and that requires a lot of resources which smaller carriers cannot afford? 

In the US they are using Google Jibe servers

So all your RCS message are belong to Google. What could go wrong?

gatorguy

anonymouse said:

gatorguy said:

netrox said:

I am guessing it's because it requires that text messages be stored on their data servers waiting for recipients to read and that requires a lot of resources which smaller carriers cannot afford? 

In the US they are using Google Jibe servers

So all your RCS message are belong to Google. What could go wrong?

No the messages are still yours, even if your carrier may be able to access them if authorities demand. That's not changed from when you use SMS for cross-platform messaging as you do now.  

Unfortunately, I don't believe Apple has any intention of securing its use of RCS with E2EE. They could, just as Google has, and prevent both carriers and any intermediaries, i.e. Google, from "reading" the contents (noting you assume they will), but it would not serve Apple's business purposes to do so. Throwing you under the bus in the pursuit of profit comes to mind. 

You should tell Apple loudly and directly that you need E2EE RCS now to protect the privacy of your messaging, and not "someday" if ever.  

anonymouse

gatorguy said:

anonymouse said:

gatorguy said:

netrox said:

I am guessing it's because it requires that text messages be stored on their data servers waiting for recipients to read and that requires a lot of resources which smaller carriers cannot afford? 

In the US they are using Google Jibe servers

So all your RCS message are belong to Google. What could go wrong?

No the messages are still yours, even if your carrier may be able to access them if authorities demand. That's not changed from when you use SMS for cross-platform messaging as you do now.  

Unfortunately, I don't believe Apple has any intention of securing its use of RCS with E2EE. They could, just as Google has, and prevent both carriers and any intermediaries, i.e. Google, from "reading" the contents (noting you assume they will), but it would not serve Apple's business purposes to do so. Throwing you under the bus in the pursuit of profit comes to mind. 

You should tell Apple loudly and directly that you need E2EE RCS now to protect the privacy of your messaging, and not "someday" if ever.  

Obviously, you missed the reference there, but I think a better way to deal with this is just to make sure RCS is switched off so my messages don't go through Google's servers to be added to my "profile".

gatorguy

anonymouse said:

gatorguy said:

anonymouse said:

gatorguy said:

netrox said:

I am guessing it's because it requires that text messages be stored on their data servers waiting for recipients to read and that requires a lot of resources which smaller carriers cannot afford? 

In the US they are using Google Jibe servers

So all your RCS message are belong to Google. What could go wrong?

No the messages are still yours, even if your carrier may be able to access them if authorities demand. That's not changed from when you use SMS for cross-platform messaging as you do now.  

Unfortunately, I don't believe Apple has any intention of securing its use of RCS with E2EE. They could, just as Google has, and prevent both carriers and any intermediaries, i.e. Google, from "reading" the contents (noting you assume they will), but it would not serve Apple's business purposes to do so. Throwing you under the bus in the pursuit of profit comes to mind. 

You should tell Apple loudly and directly that you need E2EE RCS now to protect the privacy of your messaging, and not "someday" if ever.  

Obviously, you missed the reference there, but I think a better way to deal with this is just to make sure RCS is switched off so my messages don't go through Google's servers to be added to my "profile".

I'm shocked you have a Google account to connect a profile to. 

anonymouse

gatorguy said:

anonymouse said:

gatorguy said:

anonymouse said:

gatorguy said:

netrox said:

I am guessing it's because it requires that text messages be stored on their data servers waiting for recipients to read and that requires a lot of resources which smaller carriers cannot afford? 

In the US they are using Google Jibe servers

So all your RCS message are belong to Google. What could go wrong?

No the messages are still yours, even if your carrier may be able to access them if authorities demand. That's not changed from when you use SMS for cross-platform messaging as you do now.  

Unfortunately, I don't believe Apple has any intention of securing its use of RCS with E2EE. They could, just as Google has, and prevent both carriers and any intermediaries, i.e. Google, from "reading" the contents (noting you assume they will), but it would not serve Apple's business purposes to do so. Throwing you under the bus in the pursuit of profit comes to mind. 

You should tell Apple loudly and directly that you need E2EE RCS now to protect the privacy of your messaging, and not "someday" if ever.  

Obviously, you missed the reference there, but I think a better way to deal with this is just to make sure RCS is switched off so my messages don't go through Google's servers to be added to my "profile".

I'm shocked you have a Google account to connect a profile to. 

I don't, but does anyone really believe that they, or Meta, who I also don't have any accounts with, doesn't have a profile on me?

gatorguy

anonymouse said:

gatorguy said:

anonymouse said:

gatorguy said:

anonymouse said:

gatorguy said:

netrox said:

I am guessing it's because it requires that text messages be stored on their data servers waiting for recipients to read and that requires a lot of resources which smaller carriers cannot afford? 

In the US they are using Google Jibe servers

So all your RCS message are belong to Google. What could go wrong?

No the messages are still yours, even if your carrier may be able to access them if authorities demand. That's not changed from when you use SMS for cross-platform messaging as you do now.  

Unfortunately, I don't believe Apple has any intention of securing its use of RCS with E2EE. They could, just as Google has, and prevent both carriers and any intermediaries, i.e. Google, from "reading" the contents (noting you assume they will), but it would not serve Apple's business purposes to do so. Throwing you under the bus in the pursuit of profit comes to mind. 

You should tell Apple loudly and directly that you need E2EE RCS now to protect the privacy of your messaging, and not "someday" if ever.  

Obviously, you missed the reference there, but I think a better way to deal with this is just to make sure RCS is switched off so my messages don't go through Google's servers to be added to my "profile".

I'm shocked you have a Google account to connect a profile to. 

I don't, but does anyone really believe that they, or Meta, who I also don't have any accounts with, doesn't have a profile on me?

Oh. well that makes a difference. You don't have to believe it, but it doesn't change the fact that, NO, Google doesn't have a profile for you if you don't have a Google account.

Meta? No idea.