Apple has finally added support for Rich Communications Services (RCS) to its Messages app. The feature was released earlier this week as part of the second developer beta of iOS 18. RCS is a messaging protocol that uses the Internet to allow you to send and receive files and high quality images, see writing indicators, get reading receipts, start a group chat and more. So far, iPhone users have been able to send SMS or MMS messages from app messages to people who did not have Apple devices - you can share multimedia, get reading receipts and use other features only with other Apple device users via iMessage. With this update, iPhone users can start sending text messages and sharing files with anyone using an RCS-enabled device, including most Android phones.

However, messages from Android devices still appear as green bubbles in iMessage. Support for RCS appears to be limited to US carriers such as T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon for now. While users may see the switch if they have the iOS 18 developer beta installed, the feature will only work if their carrier supports RCS and has updated their network package to iOS 18. We'll update this story when we hear about the deal gaining support in other regions.

Apple briefly mentioned during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote earlier this month that iOS 18 will receive RCS support. "When messaging contacts who don't have an Apple device, the Messages app now supports RCS for richer media and more reliable group messaging compared to SMS and MMS," Apple said in a press release detailing iOS 18.

Both iPhone and Android users have long asked Apple to support RCS because it makes it easier to send and share messages with people, no matter what device they're using. Google has also been pushing Apple to end the blue and green bubble gap for years.