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I have a conversation with my son on my iPhone and it says in the text input area: "Text + RCS." The same conversation on MacOS Messages says "Text + SMS".
Does this mean that MacOS 15 does not support RCS? If so, that's just beyond disappointing.
MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 15.0
Updated the iPad. It also says Text + SMS.
Very disappointing if only the iPhone can do RCS.
Updated the iPad. It also says Text + SMS.
Very disappointing if only the iPhone can do RCS.
I need to send a message ON MY IPHONE for it to change to Text - RCS. If I send a message on my Mac or iPad, it stays as Text - SMS. Once I send one message to an Android user on my iPhone, the conversation changes to Text - RCS on all my devices and I can use RCS from now on. I think if I send a message on my Mac, and then check the chat on the iPhone, it will flip to RCS. But I need to open the chat on the iPhone for it to change to RCS.
I'm in several group chats and we have a few iPhone users that won't update until 18.1 comes out, so all those group chats are stuck at SMS/MMS levels. Very frustrating.
I wish US users would do what the rest of the planet does and get the heck off of Messages/SMS/MMS/RCS and use Signal/WhatsApp/WeChat/Telegram.
But since we Americans seem too stubborn, I'm glad RCS is here. But RCS is here under malicious compliance. Apple implemented RCS as written in the original spec detailed in 2007/2008. Since then, Google has layered end-to-end encryption on top of RCS. Sadly, Apple did not choose to implement that.
I really wish RCS chats would have a different color bubble from green. It would be nice for Messages to be blue, SMS to be green, and RCS to be Orange. I'd also like to see Apple implement Google's end-to-end encryption on top of RCS, and give that an orange bubble with a small padlock.
Clearly Messages is the most feature rich of all these protocols. But it's nice that RCS is here so I don't have hald the images I send end up not delivered.
Just sharing some thoughts, I could be an outlier.
1) I personally wouldn't want to use a 3rd party app like WhatsApp or WeChat, these are completely different companies that don't hold the same standard of privacy and protection that Apple does. This is a big part of why I deal with Apples many limited functionality, as I look at it as a step towards privacy for all users.
2) iPhones do fully support end-to-end encryption using iMessage, which I will add existed since 2011, long before WhatApp(2016), Telegram (2013). and WeChat I don't believe uses it.
3) SMS/MMS is far more resilient in America. For someone that likes to enjoy the outdoors and camping, I can for sure send off SMS to people in a lot more places then I can send an iMessage, because all of the platforms require data. They are using a completely different protocol to send a message. So I wouldn't exactly compare these as a direct comparison, as they can serve a different purpose. With the addition of satellite sms though
4) On iPhone it only says when you go to send it how it will do it... but I agree. Would be nice to have a visual indicator as to how the message was sent after it sends (sms/rcs/iMessage) etc...
YES! I came across that in some other article after I posted here. and that seems to be it. but my friend is an idiot and wouldn't be able to follow what I'm saying lol!
So the messages app on MacOS does not update until you send a message is what you’re saying? It will then update showing Text - RCS?
I’m also assuming that Text Messaging Forwarding needs to be enabled in the messages settings on the iPhone?
I just thought of this that I learned about Samsung Android phones. There are TWO ways to message. One is with the native phone app that generally only does SMS. and the other is through a Google Messages app, that needs to have RCS enabled. I was trying to help someone, and they just couldn't understand my instructions. (of course, I'm an Android idiot). And that's when I found out the two messaging apps.
amp68 wrote:
I have a conversation with my son on my iPhone and it says in the text input area: "Text + RCS." The same conversation on MacOS Messages says "Text + SMS".
Does this mean that MacOS 15 does not support RCS? If so, that's just beyond disappointing.
See if there is anything here—
"If you aren’t using iMessage, you can use RCS. RCS text messages can be sent to non-Apple devices as well as another iPhone or another Apple device with Text Message Forwarding turned on. With RCS, you can send texts, high resolution photos and videos, links, and more. RCS also supports delivery and read receipts and typing indicators. RCS messages appear in green text bubbles on your device."
ref: What is the difference between iMessage, RCS, and SMS/ ...
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is IP-based, meaning it requires Wi-Fi or cellular data for use. Traditional SMS/MMS messages do not support RCS, as those protocols rely on the carrier's standard text messaging service, which is not internet-based.
How Messages "sync" across Mac and iPhone:
For RCS to work on a Mac, like SMS/MMS, it would require Text Message Forwarding. In addition, the iPhone would need both a phone number (as the unique identifier) and an internet connection (Wi-Fi or cellular data). The iPhone acts as a relay for RCS messages, identifying the sender and receiver using the phone number, and then sending the message over the carrier’s RCS network.
RCS is cellular only, not wifi.
Looks like I need to send a message to someone from each of my devices and then when they read the message, it changes to Text + RCS. I guess that's good.
Now I just need all iOS users to update to iOS 18 so that my group texts switch over to RCS.
What I'd really like is for people to stop using the default messaging apps on their phones and use Telegram, Signal or some other chat app, the way the rest of the planet does.
Yep. Another reason to use Signal/WhatsApp/WeChat/Telegram/Anything_Else.
I remember when RCS first rolled out. Carriers would not talk to each other over RCS. You could RCS from one Verizon customer to another Verizon customer. But Verizon→AT&T used SMS/MMS. I think the carriers were trying to do some kind of carrier lock in after they saw how Blackberry Messenger kept people on the Blackberry platform.
Apple took the right path and just bypassed the carriers completely. And Google could have done the same thing, if they didn't switch messaging platforms every few years. I remember going from Google Chat→Google Hangout→Allo/Duo→Google Messenger→RCS. People criticize Apple for not supporing RCS sooner. But nobody paid attention to RCS until Google started supporting it. And I'm sure Apple engineers sat there and said "I wonder how long this one will be around?" And I think they only got the carriers to support it because they agreed to run their own RCS servers, so there would be no cost to the carriers.
Meanwhile, Apple came out with Messages and stuck with, constantly updating it.
I've been having issues that I can send RCS just fine on my iPhone, but my MacBook Pro (even though it says "Text + RCS") it still doesn't send it and errors out. Luckily it syncs the fail to the iPhone and you can send it manually there via RCS or SMS and it seems to work fine. But I would say there appears be an issue on MacOS15 Messages not working properly with RCS.
I thought it was the other way.
SMS/MMS = Uses traditional circuit-switched network.
RCS / iMessage = Packet-switched network. (Mobile Data / Wifi). IP Based Core
This is why RCS can do encryption, bigger photos etc... it's using an entirely different Protocol.
Do you have iCloud enable on you Mac as well as your iPhone when you see and it says "Text + RCS? The reason I ask is that I am running neither Mac or iPhone on iCloud and no where does either show RCS.
RCS is IP-based and doesn't use the packet-switched network. I don't see why it couldn't use WiFi for communication. You need to hit an RCS server in order to send an RCS message.
RCS is tied to your phone number, though, unlike iMessage, which is tied to your AppleID.
Messages on MacOS 15 not doing RCS
