The promised arrival of Rich Communication Services (RCS) support for iPhones is slowly arriving as Apple's latest iOS 18.4 beta 2 release has added the feature, which allows Google Fi users to turn the service on or off.
However, it is important to note that it is not yet for everyone as it is still in the beta release, and many users who have been able to see it on their devices are also awaiting its activation.
Moreover, it is not yet the full RCS support that users have been expecting from Apple. The company previously claimed that it will offer the feature to allow users to converse with non-iOS users directly.
Apple iOS 18.4 Beta 2 Adds RCS Support For Google Fi in Latest Update
Apart from the massive controls added for Apple Intelligence & Siri via Control Center, iOS 18.4 beta 2 still has a lot more to offer, including RCS support for Google Fi in the latest update.
Reddit users have discussed the new feature spotted by those who have already updated to the latest beta version, with the Settings app already allowing users to activate it on their devices.
Now, users only have to go to Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging and turn on the RCS Messaging feature on their respective devices running the latest iOS 18.4 beta 2.
Other users have also confirmed that the RCS Messaging setting was already available on their devices after updating to the latest iOS 18.4 beta 2, but according to 9to5Google, it is focused on Google Fi subscribers via Google's MVNO.
The Latest RCS Support Is Not Yet Available For Everyone
It should be noted that only users who are part of the Apple Developer Beta Program who downloaded and installed iOS 18.4 beta 2 are the only ones who can see or use it.
Additionally, users who have already turned it on are now given the notice "Waiting for activation," and it may take some time before it is enabled.
The RCS Promise for iOS 18's iMessage
For many years, Google has pushed Apple into making an upgrade to the RCS communication protocol that would allow iPhone users to directly converse with Android without any barriers. For the longest time, Apple has relied on the SMS and MMS protocol and made iMessage an exclusive service, but the company had a change of heart in late 2023 when it first confirmed its switch.
The company has reaffirmed its dedication to adopting RCS back in June 2024 during their annual WWDC event where they said that iOS 18 will deliver the experience for all via the default Messages app. Here, the company revealed that despite the '"green bubble" remaining, the blank text field would show that it used RCS messaging instead of SMS for eligible devices.
While Apple kept the "blue bubbles" exclusive to iOS users via iMessage, the company confirmed that SMS/MMS will no longer be its default for cross-platform chats as features such as sharing read receipts, media, and more are coming via this integration.
