Apple’s RCS Announcement Brings New Opportunities for Messaging

In a surprising yet promising move, Apple has announced it will be adopting the RCS messaging standard, bringing a significant improvement to the communication experience between iPhone and Android users. This decision marks a significant shift for Apple, which has long held onto its proprietary iMessage platform. However, with increasing pressure from regulators and competitors, Apple has recognized the need to provide a more unified messaging experience.

RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a modern messaging protocol that offers a range of features beyond traditional SMS and MMS, including:

• Read receipts and typing indicators

• High-resolution image and video sharing

• Group chat with enhanced features

• Location sharing

What does this mean for business messaging?

Currently, businesses enjoy RCS messaging for its rich and interactive nature for Android users. At LINK Mobility, we have seen campaigns revel in success using the channel. It allows brands to enjoy statistics such as 31% engagement rates and 8% conversions!

Whilst Apple has confirmed that RCS support will be coming to iPhones "later next year," it's important to note that iMessage will remain the default messaging app for iPhone users. RCS will serve as an alternative when communicating with Android users. This approach is likely intended to maintain the security and privacy advantages that iMessage offers. Put it here? Whilst Apple has confirmed that initially this move will impact person to person messaging, a natural next step would see them also unlock the technology for business to also benefit from. This would see CPaaS providers such as LINK able to offer RCS campaigns to audiences on both Android and Apple devices.

Overall, however, Apple's decision to adopt RCS is a positive step forward for mobile messaging. It will provide a more unified and feature-rich experience for users across both iOS and Android platforms. While the timing of the implementation is still unclear, it's evident that Apple is recognising the importance of interconnectivity within the modern messaging landscape.