RCS support on iOS 18

[MikeXMichaels]

I was excited to learn of RCS messaging support on iOS that was released today.

Although I already use RCS Messaging with other android users though my Pixel on Smarty network, my family who have updated to iOS 18 cannot yet use it.

The option to enable it in the iphone message settings is not yet there and lots of chatter on the internet suggest that only EE in the UK support it at the moment. 

Has anyone got this working on smarty and know of any update on when this might be available?

[RovingRaspberry]

RCS has to be supported by mobile networks. 

If the option is not currently available, which it isnt for me either, then thats because Smarty does not currently supoort it. As for when or if they will, as this is a community forum for smarty customers who do not work for Smarty, we wont know

[MikeXMichaels]

RCS is supported by Smarty if you have an android, but it appears not if you have an iPhone. You'd think once you have the infrastructure in place to support a protocol it wouldn't matter what type of device was using it. 

[Jamze]

I thought RCS needed servers. Google and Samsung have provided these i think,  but Apple has left it to the mobile providers to do.

[MSF]

@MikeXMichaels  Forgive me if I'm being dumb here.

With iPhone, when you message someone, you can see when it is delivered, when it is read and when they are typing. A Google search for the meaning of RCS suggested much the same features.

[MSF]

@MikeXMichaels  Forgot to say....this currently works with Smarty.

[KizzyCatwoman · Accepted solution]

It has not been enabled in the U.K. for Smarty as yet. I put an WE SIM card in during the beta testing and it works on EE. Just waiting for Smarty to enable it their end. Hopefully it will not be too long. RCS allows you to send pictures and videos to people on iPhones and from iPhones to Android phones. This is not supported via normal text messaging on Smarty as yet. Except via the old Mamas protocol which costs extra money. 

[KizzyCatwoman]

I typed EE SIM card and it was changed to We by autocorrect. 

[MSF]

@KizzyCatwoman  Fair enough! Thanks for that. Most of the people with whom I'm in contact for pictures etc use iPhone and so it has not been an issue.

[RovingRaspberry]

Basically as @KizzyCatwoman said, RCS will bring the imessage functionality that you outlined to cross platform messages between iPhone and Android.

At the moment, just a day after iOS 18.0 was released, its only MNOs worldwide that are currently supporting this, and even then, not all MNO's, with MVNO's and sub brands being some months away from supporting this.

[AndrewM_1740060]

RCS is just fine on Smarty. It’s been enabled for a while as far as I can tell. I just sent a picture to my Android phone on Smarty from my iPhone which is on EE.

What’s wrong is that they need to update their iPhone Carrier Settings (A file which loads onto your iPhone when it realises it’s with a particular carrier) to allow the RCS Messaging user interface to be revealed.

[KizzyCatwoman]

If you go to settings, apps, messages, there is no option to use RCS under the text messaging option. What you are describing is MMS which is the old protocol to send photos via text messaging. When I insert the EE SIM card the RCS option appears with other options underneath. I have been using iOS 18 since June as a beta tester and have tried it all out. 

[AndrewM_1740060]

According to this page, you should receive a notification when SMARTY has updated the carrier settings. It would appear there is also a risk that you miss this notification and simply going to Settings->General->About will trigger a check-in for a new version.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/109324