Why do my texts keep switching between RCS and SMS on iPhone?

You should try the Network Reset solution I posted a few weeks ago, it's working for many of us permanently.

Switching between RCS and SMS - Apple Community

This is happening to me as well since the ios 18.1.1 update last friday. Sometimes I send a msg and it goes by RCS but mostly its going by sms. My boyfriend's msg are coming to me as rcs but when i reply it sends as sms. Prior to the ios update everything was by RCS both ways with zero issues. I wish I hadn't updated the ios...Apple needs to fix this crap

Having this issue too and sometimes resetting all network settings will fix it, but it seems like moving between wireless and cellular, particularly if I go outside my house where wifi starts getting weak 'triggers' the issue for a particular contact. One time I told it to send as SMS when a normal RCS message didn't go through and now it just wants to always do that for this one contact. Super frustrating.

RemovetheCamera wrote:

Both my wife and I have turned it off on our iphones but there is no way to turn it off on her ipad

You can't turn it off on your iPads because iPads aren't capable of either SMS or RCS. You can have both types of messages forwarded from your phone. If you turn RCS off on your phones, you won't get them on your iPads.

but still, others who group text are using RCS and/or haven't updated to the latest iOS and that is their right to do so

They can also turn it off if they want to.

as long as they exist on the group the issues persist

That's really an SMS/iMessage issue.

And no I am not blocking my family or telling them to turn it off

Why would you have to do that? If you turn off RCS, messages from people using RCS will be delivered to your phone using SMS/MMS.

Apple should make RCS work regardless of the situation

RCS is not an Apple protocol. If you want to use something that Apple has control over, use iMessage.

RCS is just poorly implemented and causes a lot of problems

You seem to be in a minority. For most people, it solves a lot is issues.

Have you given your feedback to Apple?

Product Feedback - Apple

I’ve been having this very issue with a single contact. I can use RCS perfectly fine with my mum (we both use the same network), but with my boyfriend, it’ll show up as RCS in the message, but then it’ll change to SMS once sent.

I’m not sure whether that’s bc of being on different networks, his phone not supporting RCS, or whether it’s simply bc the data in our area is so bad since they got rid of 3G and Huawei cell towers. I even struggle with iMessage when I’m on data nowadays, every iMessage I try to send when out (and sometimes in the house) sends as a text bc the data is so bad at 4 bars

Bikergofast wrote:

Yes, after I reset my networks it's always worked. I'm using a 15Pro on ios 18.3.

If yours does but only temporarily I suspect it's your cell provider's fault. It's also possible it's an ios bug, that's why I don't update anymore unless absolutely necessary.

It works just fine on my iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 18.5. But I would have updated any way. The security updates are important.

You just added to a long discussion of RCS and SMS. I suggest reading the whole 5 page thread for insights.

My iPhone keeps defaulting to SMS instead of RCS. I have SMS disabled and the RCS is active but it still defaults to SMS. I’ve restarted my phone, I have not had any issues with RCS until recently and now I can’t get it to come back.

I just realized that my messages are also sms when I have rcs enabled. I turned my phone off an on, it’s still the same. I updated my phone also so I’m figuring that’s when it happened. It wasn’t like this before the update.

This is happening to me, too — only with one contact however. It started as soon as the new update hit, which auto updated. This needs to be fixed! I keep restarting my phone, sometimes that helps but only for a little bit.

And other weirdness-my daughter (iphone 11) is receiving some of my texts as emails. Also, I sent a pic to a friend (iphone 12 mini) last night. She saw it, then it disappeared from her messages, then it reappeared.

Apple, get this fixed NOW!!

i am having the same issue where i cannot use RCS with my husband(mine keep sending as SMS), but he can text me back with RCS. i am able to text everyone else that has RCS, with RCS. i have no idea why it won’t switch back to RCS for him. i tried turning my phone off and back on. and i am on wifi. Apple please fix this issue.

I now have a group text chat with my coworkers (who I am their team lead) that doesn't function properly on iOS 18.2 unless RCS is on, whereas before iOS 18 that same group chat with the same people worked fine.

Problem is RCS uses more battery and is unreliable in it's current state in iOS.

Same here. My daughter and I are on the same billing plan. She has an 11, I have a 13 mini, she’s the only one that I have difficulty with, and possibly a second person who has a 12, I believe. That person was having an issue too. On New Year’s Eve my messages went through just fine. However, my daughter can text me with no problem, the issue is with my phone sending to hers. I just now tested it and the message went through just fine. Hopefully this is it. It’s so infuriating, I’ve resorted to WhatsApp.

I have only one contact that RCS was working just fine with until 1/3/25 and all of my messages to that person go over as SMS. I have cut on/off RCS in messages and restarted the phone multiple times. Does anyone know how to fix this.