With RCS, iPhone customers can converse with non-Apple customers with out dropping the improved options to which they’ve turn out to be accustomed in iMessage. That features longer messages, HD media, typing indicators, and far more. Google Fi has a number of totally different choices for information plans, and the corporate notes that RCS does use cell information when away from Wi-Fi. These on the “Versatile” Fi plan pay for blocks of knowledge as they go, and utilizing RCS messaging might inadvertently enhance their invoice.

If that is not a priority, it is a snap for Fi customers to allow RCS on the brand new iOS replace. Head to Apps > Messages, after which discover the Textual content Messaging part to toggle on RCS. It might, nonetheless, take a couple of minutes to your telephone quantity to be registered with the Fi RCS server.

In hindsight, the way in which Apple applied iMessage was intelligent. By intercepting messages being despatched to different iPhone telephone numbers, Apple was in a position so as to add enhanced options to its telephones immediately. It had the probably meant facet impact of reinforcing the notion that Android telephones have been much less succesful. This turned Android customers into dreaded inexperienced bubbles that restricted chat options. Customers complained, and Google ran ads calling on Apple to help RCS. That, together with some pointed questions from reporters prompted Apple to announce the change in late 2023. It took a while, however you nearly haven’t got to fret about lacking messaging options in 2025.