Why is RCS not working between my iPhone running iOS 18 and Android?

They'd just need to ask Google for permission. Google might say yes. They might say now. Google layered end-to-end encryption on top of RCS. So, they have their own proprietary extensions on top of RCS. Right now, Apple only supports using carrier RCS servers, which do not offer encryption.

RCS is a federated system, unlike iMessage. So, Apple went with the base features in the spec to ensure maximum compatibility.

The only reason it's working so well for Android is because of Google's RCS servers. In the early days of RCS, you could RCS to another person on the same carrier, but you could not RCS to another carrier. I think carriers did that as some type of "vendor lock in." I think that all changed when Google made RCS their standard after Allo, Hangouts and all their previous chat clients failed.

amp68 wrote:

They'd just need to ask Google for permission. Google might say yes. They might say now. Google layered end-to-end encryption on top of RCS. So, they have their own proprietary extensions on top of RCS. Right now, Apple only supports using carrier RCS servers, which do not offer encryption.

In other words, give Google control over pretty much all messaging. Yeah, Apple is not likely to want to do that.

im having a current issue my RCS keeps turning on and off randomly and I’m assuming that’s either apples end or the RCS service itself. I’ve constantly see it back and forth I’d send videos to my gf and she’d send me a video and it’s either high quality or distorted. Right now I’m having an issue of it not going to RCS but the setting is on it says SMS now and it’s not going back to RCS but my gf has RCS on and if even shows she sent a text in RCS I can see her type still too but I can’t get back to RCS this started being a problem today.

I think that there's a lot of different things going on here. Mine works fine when it shows that my phone is using RCS. It worked fine for me for five days and then all of my android friends switched back to SMS. When I looked, it no longer showed RCS in Settings > General > Carrier. I rebooted my phone and it came back on and has been working for about a day.

I’ve only found 1 android user that the RCS texting works with. The weird part is, if I text their sister, who has the same carrier and same phone, it still goes through as sms. Would think RCS would work for both since everything is the same besides the actual phone number.

IdrisSeabright wrote:

Again, I have no problems with SMS. I'm not interested in adding any third-party messaging services. Way too much hassle.

This is such an American attitude for some reason. All over the world, people use something else. And it varies by region. In Europe and South America, most people use WhatsApp. In Asia, many people use WeChat. The world gave up on SMS when better alternatives came along.

But here in the US, we're all still hung up on using the default messaging client that comes with our phones, even though it's a bad experience compared to alternatives.

Now, iMessage provides a great experience. But SMS, when used with non iOS users, does not. And I hate this attitude both sides have where iPhone users tell Android users to get an iPhone, so group chats don't go green. And Android users always say the Apple users are the problem, because Apple didn't support RCS until last month.

Well, guess what? This problem got solved by third parties over a decade ago by providing IP based rich messaging clients with a mobile and desktop client. But for some reason, we Americans just REFUSE to switch to anything else.

I've been trying to get my work group chat switches anything else, and what finally did it was when Apple rolled out RCS support and our group chat kept going from RCS to SMS, and when someone sent a new video or image, it would create a new group chat. At one point, everyone had 3 group chats going that would occasionally merge back into one group chat, and then break apart into multiple group chats.

But the YEARS of pain we put up with because no one could bother to just install an app and create an account. Now we're all using Telegram and wondering why we didn't do this years ago.

My problem is similar since upgrading to iOS18. maybe it is because this one contact doesn't have RCS turned on on his phone, but I can send RCS to other people, but this one person it fails. when it fails I have to tap the exclamation and hit send as text message and then it will send. why doesn't it automatically fall back to that without my having to do it manually? when I try to message him on my Mac, it just fails. there is no option to send it as a text message.

What a pain!

I'd like to add, maybe it is or isn't an American thing. speaking for myself, an American, I use a multitude of messaging apps. on both android and iPhone. I personally hate the whatsApp interface. can't stand using it. the iOS messages app for me, has the best UX out of all of them. Not trying to convince anyone to change or anything. But ultimately, I use what has been used all along. if someone starts a WhatsApp conversation I continue it there (which I will say is better while traveling for my wallet at least!) if I get a text, I respond to the text in messages. it all depends on where the conversation began. These alternative apps didn't always exist.

I'm glad SMS is working for you. It totally does not work for me. So many times I paste an image into Messages on MacOS and the message cannot send.

If you're just using iOS, most of what you do will work well. But if you have Text Message Forwarding enabled and try to send messages using Messages on MacOS, you'll get more failures than successful deliveries. For me, it's very frustrating. And the low res videos were also a huge PITA.

And if SMS Is working for you, great. But it was not working for me and my group. We'd constantly complain about it, but I was the only one willing to use something better. Every time I suggested it, I would always get a response that there is a perfectly good messaging app on my phone. Why should I install another one?

There is such friction created by people these days in switching to something better. It's amazing how a better product can come along and die on the vine because of the tyranny of the default.

Sorry. I'm not directing this at you specifically. It just seems to be the attitude of people. You ask them to try something new and their immediate instinct isn't to ask why or what's better. It's to simply say no.

So the RCS messaging feature was working fine when I messaged my boyfriend who has android it was working today no longer works. And I tried another friend messaging another friend who has android and it shows up as RCS. And I’ve already talked to Apple and they’ve tried different ways and now they’re trying to tell me I need to call AT&T, which is my cell phone carrier to talk with them and I was on hold with them still on hold with them. It’s a long wait but it works with other people who have android it just doesn’t work with my boyfriend anymore and I’ve turned the feature on and off restarting my phone. It doesn’t work. It’s only with my boyfriend and it started today.

I'm having the exact same issue. The first day it was available, the RCS messages allowed my husband and I to text, send photos, and videos seamlessly ( I have the Iphone 15 pro max and he has the S24 ultra). Yesterday, I was no longer able to message him, everytime I tried it would say it failed and I had to "resend as SMS" Super annoying and frustrating to have to go back after every single message even though I have the setting on for it to automatically send as SMS if RCS or imessage are not available.

As in my comment above, that was the first thing I did. AT&T has the technology. My entire household of 5 is on the same cell account. I’m the only iPhone, there are 3 different Samsungs and one Google phone. RCS is on and off with each of them intermittently and not all at the same time. Sometimes we’re in the same b house when it happens (so same tower, same WiFi, etc). Definitely NOT a carrier issue in my case at least.

Turn off your Wifi. I was connected to my company's wifi network and my RCS messages to my wifes android phone wasn't working. Walked outside and the wifi disconnected and all the messages went through with no problem.

Same. It’s 10/24/24 and it’s been weeks. https://community.verizon.com/t5/Apple/10-2024-iPhone-14-Pro-Max-Can-t-send-MMS-RCS-text-messages-to/m-p/1780311

At the bottom of the forum for my phone (linked above), the gentleman states he believes it’s a Verizon network issue because he’s noticed t-mobile users aren’t experiencing this but iPhone and non-iPhone users are having these issues.

oh and resetting your network settings or factory resets are NOT working.