Apple already confirmed that with iOS 18 the SMS successor RCS (Rich Communication Services) is finally coming to the iPhone. Now beta testers of the developer preview of the new operating system report that the function has also been implemented in Germany. With beta 3, which has been available for a few days, RCS can now be activated in the system settings. However, due to the renewal that Apple has made there, you will have to do some searching: the function can be found under “Apps” and then “Messages”.
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one switch and you’re off
The developers previously reported that RCS was active in other countries. In Germany, at least users of the Telekom network are being considered, but other mobile phone providers may also be included, as it appears that Apple is rolling out this function country by country. RCS support is enabled via a single switch hidden under “Text messages”. At the moment the description text there is only in English. The translation reads, “Sending and receiving messages with RCS is done using cellular data. Network identifiers may be passed on to your cell phone provider and its partners.”
Apple still plans to allow so-called business chats, as we already know from iMessage. However, these are not sent via the Apple service, but via the SMS successor. This is called “RCS messages from companies”. This is also controlled by the mobile phone provider: “Your network operator will send, receive and check your RCS messages from companies,” Apple writes. How this is envisioned in concrete form remains to be seen.
RCS remains green, but could do more
Like SMS, RCS messages are visually distinguished in the messaging app: instead of blue like iMessage messages, RCS messages are green (“green bubbles”). The new service (for Apple users) allows modern messaging functions such as audio messages, read marks, typing indicators, data transfer via WLAN (as an alternative to mobile communication) and higher resolution for photos and videos. Group messaging is also possible. Unlike iMessage, end-to-end encryption is not provided. However, providers such as Google at least provide transport encryption using TLS, so that no one can track what is happening from the smartphone to the RCS server. It can be assumed that Apple handles it the same way.
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Google really wants Apple to offer RCS (Video: Google).
Google has long advocated Apple to support RCS. The emotional tear duct was also pressed: some even consider the display of communications in green from Android devices “intimidating”. It remains to be seen how much the use of RCS will grow due to Apple’s direct support in iOS 18. For iPhone users, this is another way to communicate. iOS 18 will probably be released in September, the public beta will come in July.
(B.Sc.)
