I updated my iPhone to iOS 18.1, but I was dismayed to discover that Apple has not yet enabled RCS for iPhone users who use Google Fi as their carrier. When will that be addressed and resolved?
iPhone SE, iOS 18
Ask your carrier. Apple has enabled RCS but your carrier and device must support it.
gtulonen wrote:
Well, somebody's lying. I'm not holding up Google as some paragon of virtue, but my money's on Apple being the one who's lying.
As was mentioned earlier, if Google devices and services meet your requirements best, and if RCS is a critical feature, by all means migrate to Android.
Or migrate to one of the other fine platform-portable IP-based messaging services of course, including Signal. (Signal having a better reputation for security than most.)
As for RCS, Apple implemented the standard. Which (inexplicably) doesn’t (yet?) include encryption. Google did not. They added their own encryption implementation.
I’d expect that Apple will add RCS encryption if (when?) the RCS standard adds encryption. Preferably end-to-end encryption of course, and IIRC that was all being worked on.
RCS isn’t all that interesting or unique as messaging services go, though. There are many fine IP-based messaging choices available.
RCS is useful for collecting metadata transiting the Google RCS servers, of course: https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/17/18681573/google-rcs-chat-android-texting-carriers-imessage-encryption.
The history of RCS is itself interesting and checkered, and around how Google dragged the “zombie” off the scrap-heap by buying a vendor that was implementing RCS services, and tying the service and variously Google’s own servers into the carriers’ messaging traffic.
But again, if Google and Android meets your requirements best, by all means migrate.
Apple has enabled RCS. It remains up to Google to enable it.
Google Fi says they’ve done everything they can. It’s up to Apple to flip the switch.
Hello~ Click on below and review and review…
What is the difference between iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS? - Apple Support
You need to contact and go over this with your carrier.
~Katana-San~
Nope. Carrier says Apple needs to flip the switch.
Hello~ Apple can’t flip any switch.
~Katana-San~
Google says Apple has to take action: https://9to5google.com/2024/09/16/google-fi-rcs-iphone/
A figure of speech. Apple has to enable RCS for iPhone-toting Google Fi users. https://www.androidauthority.com/apple-iphone-google-fi-rcs-3482267/
gtulonen wrote:
Nope. Carrier says Apple needs to flip the switch.
The lied to you. Apple is not going to flip any switch to comform to Google’s customized version of RCS.
Well, somebody's lying. I'm not holding up Google as some paragon of virtue, but my money's on Apple being the one who's lying.
When will Apple enable RCS for Google Fi users?
