With today’s release iOS 18 beta 4, RCS Messaging has been enabled for Rogers customers, notes numerous iPhone in Canada readers.
Two weeks ago when iOS 18 beta 3 was released, RCS Messaging arrived in Canada with carriers such as Telus, Bell, Videotron, and Freedom Mobile. Rogers was missing but that has changed as of today.
RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is widely used by Android smartphones. Support for RCS means, “richer media and delivery and read receipts for those who don’t use iMessage,” explains Apple. This means when you text non-iPhone friends and family, you can now see “delivered” and read receipts.
After updating to iOS 18 beta 4, head over to Settings > Messages > RCS Messaging and you’ll see a toggle to enable it. Rogers customers have told us RCS Messaging works in iOS 18 beta 4, as sending a message to an Android contact will show a “delivered” status, for example.
For now, RCS Messaging doesn’t support group chats yet.
Let us know what carriers you’re seeing RCS Messaging enabled in iOS 18, aside from Rogers, Telus, Bell, Freedom Mobile and Videontron in the comments below.
Update: Looks like Public Mobile and Koodo also has RCS Messaging enabled now.
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Rogers seems to have limited their RCS to Western Canada. It shows up in my Settings, but not my chats 🙁
8 hours later, it changed over
Doesn’t work ims still shows voice and sms only even though there is now an rcs toggle.
I suspect eventually RCS will be force enabled without being able to disable, though it would be interesting if it remains as optional, you know in case it's not fully backwards compatible with older smartphones or even flip-phone SMS (yes, some people still do that in 2024).
On Android you can disable it entirely, per contact, or per message (in Google Messages at least). I'm not sure why Apple would force it always on when Android doesn't?!
RCS is claimed to be the replacement for SMS but really it isn't. SMS is part of the most basic cellular connection whereas RCS is an internet data chat protocol. The RCS client just happens to be the default SMS client (whether it's Google Messages or now iMessage).
Although given the new look of the Android Gmail app I feel like Google has already moved on from RCS to the next big ultimate chat app to rule all chat apps! Muhahahhahahahahaha!!!
Chat app that they'll end up pilling the plug on within like 3 years or so 🤣
3 years is generous! Have you seen the reply UI in the Gmail app?! Smells like a chat app! As if emoji reactions to email didnt already give it away!!!
Its working now on Fido so i assume rogers too. Awesome
Koodo works now.
Virgin Plus too !
Not SaskTel yet 🙁
It works great! And I noticed it also works on my Apple Watch 9, which I somehow thought would still be using SMS 😅
I’m having a strange issue and it started day 1 of RCS (I’m on Rogers). When it’s using RCS (says so in the text field) it ALWAYS fails… but the person receives the message…
So I constantly get “failed to send” text notifications. And red “not delivered” under every message… I can’t seem to find anyone else having my issue…