7 ms·

RCS for Business

56 points by sshh12 9mo ago

sshh12 9mo ago
TIL they have a rich multimedia API for RCS.
kotaKat 8mo ago
If RCS is supposed to be an open standard, then how come Google can gatekeep the "for business" bit for themselves?
- adzm 8mo ago
  Pretty much because the other major telcos tried to run their own rcs services and did so terribly
- jeroenhd 8mo ago
  They don't (https://www.twilio.com/en-us/messaging/channels/rcs https://www.twilio.com/en-us/messaging/channels/rcs, https://www.cm.com/rcs/ https://www.cm.com/rcs/, https://www.linkmobility.com/en-gb/channels/rcs https://www.linkmobility.com/en-gb/channels/rcs, https://gatewayapi.com/rcs/ https://gatewayapi.com/rcs/, https://www.productsupport.esendex.com/what-is-rcs-messaging-2/ https://www.productsupport.esendex.com/what-is-rcs-messaging..., the list goes on). Google makes RCS servers for carriers, host RCS themselves for carriers without RCS servers, and builds the most used RCS client app, so it makes sense that they're in the RCS monetization market as well, but you don't need to use them. Google's pricing being displayed upfront while most others are listed as "contact us" will make Google much more attractive to small apps, of course.
  - dfajgljsldkjag 8mo ago
    Twilio, Bandwidth etc. are gatekept by Google and are basically just a middleman reselling Google's product. Every single customer on the planet reachable via "RCS for Business" is through Google's servers and the Google Messages app.
gruez 8mo ago
So is RCS a Google platform, like how iMessage is an Apple platform? It might theoretically be a GSMA standard, but from their marketing page and how it's implemented in reality, it seems like it's the former.
- spogbiper 8mo ago
  A bit different in that RCS is available on both iOS and Android (and I guess theoretically other platforms?) while iMessage is strictly Apple devices
- ianburrell 8mo ago
  RCS is a standard, but it needs hosted services for providers. Providers can either host themselves, or contract with someone like Google Jibe Cloud. Also, Google provides services for Android for providers that don't have it. iPhone depends on the provider so has less coverage.
  - zinekeller 8mo ago
    > Providers can either host themselves Outside of China, it is de facto a Google thing due to Jibe not really in mood to interconnect with others, plus the fact that Google actually shoehorns RCS in countries where they think they can get away with it. Your statement "iPhone depends on the provider so has less coverage" basically bares this one. Two example: 1. Japan has already a different provider-supported thing +Message, (RCS-based but a different flavor because RCS is complicated), but Google is trying to win to them (and if I remember correctly, au actually jumped ship to Jibe recently-ish). 2. African carriers were confused because of RCS shoehorning without the carrier's consent: SMS reliably actually decreased because Google assumes that once you got an Android phone, surely you won't temporarily use that SIM on a "basic" phone for just an hour or two, right? Google just assumes that's offline, but for people still using their Android devices to reach their family on a farm who temporarily switched to a basic phone for its reliability and reach, their messages will still be send solely via RCS (which predictably won't reach the intended recipient because, of course, it does not have RCS). Apple of course has its incentive to keep its users on iMessage, but it now accepts RCS (whether Jibe or not) and being "patchy" means that there are many, many carriers which did not implement RCS on their volition. I just imagine how would Google handle an oppressive government's request for interception on Jibe after carriers demonstrably shown that RCS was implemented without their consent, with fines and possibly prison sentences for illegally operating a carrier service to boot.
dfajgljsldkjag 8mo ago
It's unfortunate that RCS is basically a de-facto Google walled garden in most countries. On android you can only use RCS in the Google Messages app and trying to build your own is explicitly blocked. [1] And of course the bonus that rooted devices are banned from RCS. All the propaganda Google spread to get Apple onboard (only with Google's blessing of course, Google could kick apple off if they wanted) was such a big win for them. As a business I wanted RCS to be a simple upgrade to SMS, but instead they came up with this mess. Businesses using RCS for Business can send messages to anyone, but customers wanting to get in touch with your business can't. They can only reply to a message you sent first. And of course Google is the gatekeeper for anyone to be allowed to use it. 1. https://github.com/microg/GmsCore/issues/2994 https://github.com/microg/GmsCore/issues/2994
- sitzkrieg 8mo ago
  to your point i had problems with RCS in an entire organization because you must allow *.goog for rcs to work correctly
- navigate8310 8mo ago
  > Businesses using RCS for Business can send messages to anyone, but customers wanting to get in touch with your business can't. Basically for blasting spam and ads, which RCS is already notorious for.
  - tadfisher 8mo ago
    Ironically this is because of federation; if your carrier just uses Jibe (e.g. if you live in the US) then you don't deal with spam because Google has effective tools and a profit motive. Also ironic: Google spent a decade forcing the world's carriers onto the worst messaging standard, only to end up where they started with Google Talk and XMPP; they are the only ones with significant market share on the protocol.
- jeroenhd 8mo ago
  > trying to build your own is explicitly blocked Google doesn't offer an RCS API, but making your own API is not blocked, especially not on phones running MicroG. For standard ROMs, RCS apps are not feasible because carriers expect interaction with the SIM module, and only privileged apps can do that. Google Messages blocks root access (probably because the RCS spec says they have to if they ever implement the money exchange feature for RCS) but that just locks out Google Messages. LineageOS, GrapheneOS, /e/, and all the others could build their own RCS client. They may not be able to register with Google, but they can make an RCS app nonetheless. Rooted devices can also promote third party RCS apps to gain system permissions, so they would be able to use the same RCS apps. Thing is, like all telco protocols, RCS is a long spec with a billion features and acronyms made up of acronyms of even more acronyms, plus you can't easily set up your own server (though in theory a sister project for an open RCS server might be useful for the open 5G project). I get why people want Google to just stuff their RCS library into open source Android the same way they do SMS/MMS, but to say it's impossible to write a client for, especially when running at the permission level MicroG runs at, is not the whole truth. As for the whole "Google is the gatekeeper" thing: there are more RCS-for-business providers out there. Google's is probably the easiest to use by far, but Twilio has RCS too, as well as smaller companies such as LINK Mobility and Esendex. Sure, the people whose carriers don't support RCS might receive these business messages through Google's servers, but there's no need to pay Google a dime to make use of the RCS for Business specs.
enginous 8mo ago
I'm pretty unclear about how the experience they showcase in the video would work on iOS. Maybe Android has APIs for this, but on iOS it looks like RCS just supports green-bubble messages, links and files/multimedia. But in the demo they show multi-choice cards, carousels, cards with buttons, and reply auto-suggestions. Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it also looks like this needs to be agent-initiated, ie. you can't add a "Text us" button that will take you to this experience. (But you could capture a phone number, and text them _iff_ they have RCS available and enabled.) Overall, seems questionable whether this is worth integrating if the experience is so fractured across platforms and many people might not even have RCS. The concept of a platform for rich messaging across platforms sounds good though.
- jeroenhd 8mo ago
  I have never seen any of this in real life. However, all of this is in the RCS spec. If Apple implements the RCS spec beyond the bare basics, all of this should Just Work. RCS is much more than just "SMS but via weird HTTP" and things like chatbots and interactive components were one of the selling points towards ISPs to bother supporting it. Unfortunately, nobody seems to bother dealing with the standard. Now Google is at it again, selling "RCS for business" when the RCS standard itself is supposed to be used in a federated, carrier-to-carrier fashion just like SMS.
  - ComputerGuru 8mo ago
    I have, on my iPhone, RCS messages from businesses that don’t show up as a green bubble, have (somewhat) interactive components, and exhibit non-standard (also non-intuitive) behavior I didn’t expect of either an RCS or an iMessage. So I guess they did implement all that. (Not that they are particularly nicely implemented - the layout and padding is all wrong, alignment is off, and it looks distinctly non-native… but that’s par for the course on iOS 26.)
  - enginous 8mo ago
    I did just manage to dig up a source that says these things are somewhat implemented in iOS 18 with illustrative screenshots rather than actuals, and it seems to be implemented but currently janky: - On iOS, rich cards have a message length limit of 144 characters. (Implies this is not a limitation on Android.) - On iOS, multi-CTA might fold some of the options away. So you might give 4 options and it renders 2 options and makes you use a drop-down for the others. - On iOS, carousels display as cards, which might not be as obvious to interact with. https://www.infobip.com/blog/apple-rcs https://www.infobip.com/blog/apple-rcs Potentially improved in iOS 26. It's a little hard to work out the state of this, and of course not trivial to test without joining some kind of partner ecosystem.
trollbridge 8mo ago
RCS is basically spam-only messaging at this point. You can enhance your messaging experience by just turning it off.
- rkrueger11 8mo ago
  I get vastly less spam on RCS than I do on SMS or iMessage. The main thing Apple/Google needs to fix is RCS group messaging where spammers change the name of the group message to "Apple" or the business they're trying to impersonate.
- hocuspocus 8mo ago
  This seems very specific to a few regions, India mostly. Google is doing a really good job catching and blocking spam as far as I'm concerned. Even scammers aren't trying their luck over RCS in any way significant compared to Telegram, WhatsApp, or even iMessage.
  - trollbridge 8mo ago
    Apparently India now includes part of the United States. I use an iPhone and RCS is a steady stream of spam to me. (My number is publicly listed.)
nixosbestos 8mo ago
With the quality Google is pushing out these days, I wouldn't touch this with a 100ft pole.
deleted 8mo ago
[deleted]
hvs 8mo ago
I'm so old and out-of-touch that all I could imagine this was about was an ancient version control system: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revision_Control_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revision_Control_System
- nacozarina 8mo ago
  yeah staying away from RCS, too soon
browningstreet 8mo ago
I had my family iPhones revert to RCS. We had to delete chats and reset settings and reboot phones to get iMessage connected between these contacts again. And it’s weird how bad sms messaging on Google Voice is, still. RCS would be welcome.
- joecool1029 8mo ago
  > And it’s weird how bad sms messaging on Google Voice is, still. Messages get filtered more often by the carriers. Shows up to them as voip local numbers which is highest risk of spam. In any case it was bolted on almost as an afterthought. I really think they only bump Google Voice client releases to revert the ‘use carrier only setting’ to ‘prefer data and wifi’, so Google saves a few pennies.
bigbuppo 8mo ago
What does this incarnation of RCS mean? Relentlessly Cancelled Services?
- imglorp 8mo ago
  Seriously, define acronyms on your landing page. Is that so hard?
rkrueger11 8mo ago
Not really sure why this was posted today. However, I see a lot of confusion / misinformation in the comments, so here is a simplified explanation of how RCS works, while recognizing the topic is more complex technically and commercially. (Source/disclaimer: I am a product manager at Twilio and work on RCS.) Google bought Jibe Mobile in 2015. [1] The GSMA Universal Profile (UP) defines the industry standard for RCS features. [2] Messaging apps (for example, Google Messages or Messages on iOS) implement those features, and carriers expose them through a MaaP (Messaging as a Platform). The GSMA publishes UP updates periodically; UP v3 was released in February 2025 [3], though the latest publicly iOS version supports UP v2.4. Most carriers globally now use Google’s Jibe MaaP instead of building their own as Google Messages supports the Jibe MaaP. That choice reduced the fragmentation that previously produced many inconsistent Android messaging experiences. In addition, I believe E2EE encryption was only added to the UP in v3, Google had previously added it to Google Messages outside of the spec, as as a result only worked when both users are using Google Messages. iOS Messages can technically support any MaaP because the downloaded carrier profile specifies which MaaP URL to use. A MaaP supports both person-to-person (P2P) and application-to-person (A2P) RCS. P2P RCS uses phone numbers. Carriers generally do not enable RCS on the business phone numbers companies use for SMS today. For A2P RCS, businesses must create a chatbot/agent entity in the MaaP with its own image, display name, and contact details. Google’s MaaP provides an interface for businesses to create those RCS agent profiles; carriers then approve which agents may message subscribers on their networks. Theoretically this also helps make it easier for messaging clients to reduce spam / fraud, since traffic from legitimate business will be more distinguishable from P2P fraudulent traffic—both from a technical perspective (phone number vs chatbot/agent entity) as well as from an end user experience (verified and branded display vs anonymous phone number). If you're a business / brand, interested in getting started with RCS, check out this page with more info on how to get started with RCS: https://www.twilio.com/en-us/messaging/channels/rcs https://www.twilio.com/en-us/messaging/channels/rcs 1. https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/30/google-acquires-jibe-mobile-to-help-adopt-new-standard-for-carrier-messaging/ https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/30/google-acquires-jibe-mobil... 2. https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/networks/rcs/universal-profile/ https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/netwo... 3. https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/networks/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/RCC.71-v3.0.pdf https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/netwo...
cush 8mo ago
Would be great if we could focus on getting RCS for consumers working first
akersten 8mo ago
Perfect I can't wait for the deluge of spam texts with real clickable buttons to trick me instead of just a 320x320 picture of one. Let's see, RCS: * needlessly complicated protocol, such that only a behemoth such as Google could administrate it * Intensely leans on device attestation to even let you on to the network * Tenfold the multimedia touchpoints as MMS, correspondingly it will have 10x the zero days * Certainly wiretapped at law enforcement's whim * Took 15 years to roll out * And you still get green bubbles on iPhone I wish we'd all switch to signal and the telcos would get back to being dumb pipes. But no, we need to support Read indicators and ad carousels in our baseband
- the_arun 8mo ago
  What is the difference between RCS & Whatsapp messages? Aren't they similar?
  - Elfener 8mo ago
    When you use Whatsapp, you're trusting a single entity to handle your messages (plus your ISP I guess). When you use RCS, your messages go through your mobile operator, google, and perhaps someone else in an overly complicated way that is also built upon SMS (a non-internet thing) for more confusion.
    - hocuspocus 8mo ago
      Message payloads go directly to Google servers, there's no difference in practice. Carriers handle IMS registration, that's it. And not even in all cases.
xnx 8mo ago
I'd believe Google cared more about RCS if it worked with Google Voice.
joshstrange 8mo ago
RCS is such trash. It's amazing that people fell for Google's BS in pushing Apple to implement it. I imagine that in the near future I will just disable it on my phone if I start getting spam. I push all my Android friends to use other messaging platforms, even with RCS it's a crap-shoot and pictures still come through looking like it's the year 2000. RCS was a bad idea literally from day 1 and I do not understand why so many people thought it was worth pursuing. I mean other than Google since they effectively own the "standard", finally after untold number of failed messaging projects they have something they strong-armed other idiots into using.
iboshoer 8mo ago
Founder of Clerk Chat here, I work with RCS for Business day in and day out and know the protocol inside and out. A lot of the criticism in this thread is fair from a client / handset perspective, but it’s important to separate consumer RCS from RCS for Business. On the business side, RCS is actually a very powerful, well-designed protocol with massive potential when used the way it was intended: verified senders, conversational flows, and rich interactions at scale. At Clerk Chat, we’re leading the way on conversational RCS, not just blasting messages, but enabling real two-way conversations that feel native, secure, and useful. Yes, Google is the gatekeeper as well as carriers today, but that’s also what enables trust, verification, and deliverability at global scale. When you work with the ecosystem instead of against it, it’s surprisingly effective. We’re investing heavily in RCS because we believe it’s the natural evolution of business messaging beyond SMS. For companies that want to engage users where they already are with rich UI, fast responses, and verified identity, RCS is hard to beat. If you’re interested in exploring what’s actually possible with RCS for Business today, feel free to reach out. Happy to enable folks and share real-world learnings. Igor, Founder @ Clerk Chat

RCS for Business

56 points by sshh12 9mo ago

sshh12 9mo ago

TIL they have a rich multimedia API for RCS.

kotaKat 8mo ago

If RCS is supposed to be an open standard, then how come Google can gatekeep the "for business" bit for themselves?

adzm 8mo ago
Pretty much because the other major telcos tried to run their own rcs services and did so terribly
jeroenhd 8mo ago
They don't (https://www.twilio.com/en-us/messaging/channels/rcs https://www.twilio.com/en-us/messaging/channels/rcs, https://www.cm.com/rcs/ https://www.cm.com/rcs/, https://www.linkmobility.com/en-gb/channels/rcs https://www.linkmobility.com/en-gb/channels/rcs, https://gatewayapi.com/rcs/ https://gatewayapi.com/rcs/, https://www.productsupport.esendex.com/what-is-rcs-messaging-2/ https://www.productsupport.esendex.com/what-is-rcs-messaging..., the list goes on). Google makes RCS servers for carriers, host RCS themselves for carriers without RCS servers, and builds the most used RCS client app, so it makes sense that they're in the RCS monetization market as well, but you don't need to use them. Google's pricing being displayed upfront while most others are listed as "contact us" will make Google much more attractive to small apps, of course.
- dfajgljsldkjag 8mo ago
  Twilio, Bandwidth etc. are gatekept by Google and are basically just a middleman reselling Google's product. Every single customer on the planet reachable via "RCS for Business" is through Google's servers and the Google Messages app.

gruez 8mo ago

So is RCS a Google platform, like how iMessage is an Apple platform? It might theoretically be a GSMA standard, but from their marketing page and how it's implemented in reality, it seems like it's the former.

spogbiper 8mo ago
A bit different in that RCS is available on both iOS and Android (and I guess theoretically other platforms?) while iMessage is strictly Apple devices
ianburrell 8mo ago
RCS is a standard, but it needs hosted services for providers. Providers can either host themselves, or contract with someone like Google Jibe Cloud. Also, Google provides services for Android for providers that don't have it. iPhone depends on the provider so has less coverage.
- zinekeller 8mo ago
  > Providers can either host themselves Outside of China, it is de facto a Google thing due to Jibe not really in mood to interconnect with others, plus the fact that Google actually shoehorns RCS in countries where they think they can get away with it. Your statement "iPhone depends on the provider so has less coverage" basically bares this one. Two example: 1. Japan has already a different provider-supported thing +Message, (RCS-based but a different flavor because RCS is complicated), but Google is trying to win to them (and if I remember correctly, au actually jumped ship to Jibe recently-ish). 2. African carriers were confused because of RCS shoehorning without the carrier's consent: SMS reliably actually decreased because Google assumes that once you got an Android phone, surely you won't temporarily use that SIM on a "basic" phone for just an hour or two, right? Google just assumes that's offline, but for people still using their Android devices to reach their family on a farm who temporarily switched to a basic phone for its reliability and reach, their messages will still be send solely via RCS (which predictably won't reach the intended recipient because, of course, it does not have RCS). Apple of course has its incentive to keep its users on iMessage, but it now accepts RCS (whether Jibe or not) and being "patchy" means that there are many, many carriers which did not implement RCS on their volition. I just imagine how would Google handle an oppressive government's request for interception on Jibe after carriers demonstrably shown that RCS was implemented without their consent, with fines and possibly prison sentences for illegally operating a carrier service to boot.

dfajgljsldkjag 8mo ago

It's unfortunate that RCS is basically a de-facto Google walled garden in most countries. On android you can only use RCS in the Google Messages app and trying to build your own is explicitly blocked. [1] And of course the bonus that rooted devices are banned from RCS. All the propaganda Google spread to get Apple onboard (only with Google's blessing of course, Google could kick apple off if they wanted) was such a big win for them. As a business I wanted RCS to be a simple upgrade to SMS, but instead they came up with this mess. Businesses using RCS for Business can send messages to anyone, but customers wanting to get in touch with your business can't. They can only reply to a message you sent first. And of course Google is the gatekeeper for anyone to be allowed to use it. 1. https://github.com/microg/GmsCore/issues/2994 https://github.com/microg/GmsCore/issues/2994

sitzkrieg 8mo ago
to your point i had problems with RCS in an entire organization because you must allow *.goog for rcs to work correctly
navigate8310 8mo ago
> Businesses using RCS for Business can send messages to anyone, but customers wanting to get in touch with your business can't. Basically for blasting spam and ads, which RCS is already notorious for.
- tadfisher 8mo ago
  Ironically this is because of federation; if your carrier just uses Jibe (e.g. if you live in the US) then you don't deal with spam because Google has effective tools and a profit motive. Also ironic: Google spent a decade forcing the world's carriers onto the worst messaging standard, only to end up where they started with Google Talk and XMPP; they are the only ones with significant market share on the protocol.
jeroenhd 8mo ago
> trying to build your own is explicitly blocked Google doesn't offer an RCS API, but making your own API is not blocked, especially not on phones running MicroG. For standard ROMs, RCS apps are not feasible because carriers expect interaction with the SIM module, and only privileged apps can do that. Google Messages blocks root access (probably because the RCS spec says they have to if they ever implement the money exchange feature for RCS) but that just locks out Google Messages. LineageOS, GrapheneOS, /e/, and all the others could build their own RCS client. They may not be able to register with Google, but they can make an RCS app nonetheless. Rooted devices can also promote third party RCS apps to gain system permissions, so they would be able to use the same RCS apps. Thing is, like all telco protocols, RCS is a long spec with a billion features and acronyms made up of acronyms of even more acronyms, plus you can't easily set up your own server (though in theory a sister project for an open RCS server might be useful for the open 5G project). I get why people want Google to just stuff their RCS library into open source Android the same way they do SMS/MMS, but to say it's impossible to write a client for, especially when running at the permission level MicroG runs at, is not the whole truth. As for the whole "Google is the gatekeeper" thing: there are more RCS-for-business providers out there. Google's is probably the easiest to use by far, but Twilio has RCS too, as well as smaller companies such as LINK Mobility and Esendex. Sure, the people whose carriers don't support RCS might receive these business messages through Google's servers, but there's no need to pay Google a dime to make use of the RCS for Business specs.

enginous 8mo ago

I'm pretty unclear about how the experience they showcase in the video would work on iOS. Maybe Android has APIs for this, but on iOS it looks like RCS just supports green-bubble messages, links and files/multimedia. But in the demo they show multi-choice cards, carousels, cards with buttons, and reply auto-suggestions. Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it also looks like this needs to be agent-initiated, ie. you can't add a "Text us" button that will take you to this experience. (But you could capture a phone number, and text them _iff_ they have RCS available and enabled.) Overall, seems questionable whether this is worth integrating if the experience is so fractured across platforms and many people might not even have RCS. The concept of a platform for rich messaging across platforms sounds good though.

jeroenhd 8mo ago
I have never seen any of this in real life. However, all of this is in the RCS spec. If Apple implements the RCS spec beyond the bare basics, all of this should Just Work. RCS is much more than just "SMS but via weird HTTP" and things like chatbots and interactive components were one of the selling points towards ISPs to bother supporting it. Unfortunately, nobody seems to bother dealing with the standard. Now Google is at it again, selling "RCS for business" when the RCS standard itself is supposed to be used in a federated, carrier-to-carrier fashion just like SMS.
- ComputerGuru 8mo ago
  I have, on my iPhone, RCS messages from businesses that don’t show up as a green bubble, have (somewhat) interactive components, and exhibit non-standard (also non-intuitive) behavior I didn’t expect of either an RCS or an iMessage. So I guess they did implement all that. (Not that they are particularly nicely implemented - the layout and padding is all wrong, alignment is off, and it looks distinctly non-native… but that’s par for the course on iOS 26.)
- enginous 8mo ago
  I did just manage to dig up a source that says these things are somewhat implemented in iOS 18 with illustrative screenshots rather than actuals, and it seems to be implemented but currently janky: - On iOS, rich cards have a message length limit of 144 characters. (Implies this is not a limitation on Android.) - On iOS, multi-CTA might fold some of the options away. So you might give 4 options and it renders 2 options and makes you use a drop-down for the others. - On iOS, carousels display as cards, which might not be as obvious to interact with. https://www.infobip.com/blog/apple-rcs https://www.infobip.com/blog/apple-rcs Potentially improved in iOS 26. It's a little hard to work out the state of this, and of course not trivial to test without joining some kind of partner ecosystem.

trollbridge 8mo ago

RCS is basically spam-only messaging at this point. You can enhance your messaging experience by just turning it off.

rkrueger11 8mo ago
I get vastly less spam on RCS than I do on SMS or iMessage. The main thing Apple/Google needs to fix is RCS group messaging where spammers change the name of the group message to "Apple" or the business they're trying to impersonate.
hocuspocus 8mo ago
This seems very specific to a few regions, India mostly. Google is doing a really good job catching and blocking spam as far as I'm concerned. Even scammers aren't trying their luck over RCS in any way significant compared to Telegram, WhatsApp, or even iMessage.
- trollbridge 8mo ago
  Apparently India now includes part of the United States. I use an iPhone and RCS is a steady stream of spam to me. (My number is publicly listed.)

nixosbestos 8mo ago

With the quality Google is pushing out these days, I wouldn't touch this with a 100ft pole.

deleted 8mo ago

[deleted]

hvs 8mo ago

I'm so old and out-of-touch that all I could imagine this was about was an ancient version control system: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revision_Control_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revision_Control_System

nacozarina 8mo ago
yeah staying away from RCS, too soon

browningstreet 8mo ago

I had my family iPhones revert to RCS. We had to delete chats and reset settings and reboot phones to get iMessage connected between these contacts again. And it’s weird how bad sms messaging on Google Voice is, still. RCS would be welcome.

joecool1029 8mo ago
> And it’s weird how bad sms messaging on Google Voice is, still. Messages get filtered more often by the carriers. Shows up to them as voip local numbers which is highest risk of spam. In any case it was bolted on almost as an afterthought. I really think they only bump Google Voice client releases to revert the ‘use carrier only setting’ to ‘prefer data and wifi’, so Google saves a few pennies.

bigbuppo 8mo ago

What does this incarnation of RCS mean? Relentlessly Cancelled Services?

imglorp 8mo ago
Seriously, define acronyms on your landing page. Is that so hard?

rkrueger11 8mo ago

Not really sure why this was posted today. However, I see a lot of confusion / misinformation in the comments, so here is a simplified explanation of how RCS works, while recognizing the topic is more complex technically and commercially. (Source/disclaimer: I am a product manager at Twilio and work on RCS.) Google bought Jibe Mobile in 2015. [1] The GSMA Universal Profile (UP) defines the industry standard for RCS features. [2] Messaging apps (for example, Google Messages or Messages on iOS) implement those features, and carriers expose them through a MaaP (Messaging as a Platform). The GSMA publishes UP updates periodically; UP v3 was released in February 2025 [3], though the latest publicly iOS version supports UP v2.4. Most carriers globally now use Google’s Jibe MaaP instead of building their own as Google Messages supports the Jibe MaaP. That choice reduced the fragmentation that previously produced many inconsistent Android messaging experiences. In addition, I believe E2EE encryption was only added to the UP in v3, Google had previously added it to Google Messages outside of the spec, as as a result only worked when both users are using Google Messages. iOS Messages can technically support any MaaP because the downloaded carrier profile specifies which MaaP URL to use. A MaaP supports both person-to-person (P2P) and application-to-person (A2P) RCS. P2P RCS uses phone numbers. Carriers generally do not enable RCS on the business phone numbers companies use for SMS today. For A2P RCS, businesses must create a chatbot/agent entity in the MaaP with its own image, display name, and contact details. Google’s MaaP provides an interface for businesses to create those RCS agent profiles; carriers then approve which agents may message subscribers on their networks. Theoretically this also helps make it easier for messaging clients to reduce spam / fraud, since traffic from legitimate business will be more distinguishable from P2P fraudulent traffic—both from a technical perspective (phone number vs chatbot/agent entity) as well as from an end user experience (verified and branded display vs anonymous phone number). If you're a business / brand, interested in getting started with RCS, check out this page with more info on how to get started with RCS: https://www.twilio.com/en-us/messaging/channels/rcs https://www.twilio.com/en-us/messaging/channels/rcs 1. https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/30/google-acquires-jibe-mobile-to-help-adopt-new-standard-for-carrier-messaging/ https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/30/google-acquires-jibe-mobil... 2. https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/networks/rcs/universal-profile/ https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/netwo... 3. https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/networks/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/RCC.71-v3.0.pdf https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/netwo...

cush 8mo ago

Would be great if we could focus on getting RCS for consumers working first

akersten 8mo ago

Perfect I can't wait for the deluge of spam texts with real clickable buttons to trick me instead of just a 320x320 picture of one. Let's see, RCS: * needlessly complicated protocol, such that only a behemoth such as Google could administrate it * Intensely leans on device attestation to even let you on to the network * Tenfold the multimedia touchpoints as MMS, correspondingly it will have 10x the zero days * Certainly wiretapped at law enforcement's whim * Took 15 years to roll out * And you still get green bubbles on iPhone I wish we'd all switch to signal and the telcos would get back to being dumb pipes. But no, we need to support Read indicators and ad carousels in our baseband

the_arun 8mo ago
What is the difference between RCS & Whatsapp messages? Aren't they similar?
- Elfener 8mo ago
  When you use Whatsapp, you're trusting a single entity to handle your messages (plus your ISP I guess). When you use RCS, your messages go through your mobile operator, google, and perhaps someone else in an overly complicated way that is also built upon SMS (a non-internet thing) for more confusion.
  - hocuspocus 8mo ago
    Message payloads go directly to Google servers, there's no difference in practice. Carriers handle IMS registration, that's it. And not even in all cases.

xnx 8mo ago

I'd believe Google cared more about RCS if it worked with Google Voice.

joshstrange 8mo ago

RCS is such trash. It's amazing that people fell for Google's BS in pushing Apple to implement it. I imagine that in the near future I will just disable it on my phone if I start getting spam. I push all my Android friends to use other messaging platforms, even with RCS it's a crap-shoot and pictures still come through looking like it's the year 2000. RCS was a bad idea literally from day 1 and I do not understand why so many people thought it was worth pursuing. I mean other than Google since they effectively own the "standard", finally after untold number of failed messaging projects they have something they strong-armed other idiots into using.

iboshoer 8mo ago

Founder of Clerk Chat here, I work with RCS for Business day in and day out and know the protocol inside and out. A lot of the criticism in this thread is fair from a client / handset perspective, but it’s important to separate consumer RCS from RCS for Business. On the business side, RCS is actually a very powerful, well-designed protocol with massive potential when used the way it was intended: verified senders, conversational flows, and rich interactions at scale. At Clerk Chat, we’re leading the way on conversational RCS, not just blasting messages, but enabling real two-way conversations that feel native, secure, and useful. Yes, Google is the gatekeeper as well as carriers today, but that’s also what enables trust, verification, and deliverability at global scale. When you work with the ecosystem instead of against it, it’s surprisingly effective. We’re investing heavily in RCS because we believe it’s the natural evolution of business messaging beyond SMS. For companies that want to engage users where they already are with rich UI, fast responses, and verified identity, RCS is hard to beat. If you’re interested in exploring what’s actually possible with RCS for Business today, feel free to reach out. Happy to enable folks and share real-world learnings. Igor, Founder @ Clerk Chat