It’s taking place; iOS 18 will deliver RCS support to the iPhone, the one characteristic that some Android customers have been dying to get. Properly, they wouldn’t get something aside from the power to take pleasure in considerably richer texting experiences with household and mates who personal iPhones.
Nevertheless, this isn’t Google’s model of RCS. It’s the service customary, so don’t anticipate the identical characteristic compatibility. One huge distinction would be the lack of end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between iPhone and Android.
That mentioned, you would possibly have the ability to take a look at RCS on iPhone proper now, a number of months earlier than Apple rolls out the primary secure model of iOS 18, assuming the celebrities are aligned in a selected order.
A number of days in the past, we noticed that some intrepid iPhone customers forcefully enabled RCS assist on gadgets operating iOS 18 beta 1. Apple had not turned on the characteristic, however the discovering steered that RCS assist will come to the iPhone in some unspecified time in the future throughout iOS 18 beta testing.
Quick-forward to Monday, and Apple launched iOS 18 beta 2, simply because it mentioned it will. The brand new launch comes simply two weeks after the WWDC 2024 essential keynote the place Apple confirmed RCS assist is coming to the iMessage expertise.
iOS 18 beta 2 brings a few thrilling options apart from RCS that you just would possibly have the ability to strive once more, assuming sure situations are met. iPhone Mirroring permits you to use your iPhone out of your Mac, assuming the latter runs macOS Sequoia beta 2 and that you just’re not based mostly within the European Union.
Then there’s the brand new SharePlay Display screen Sharing characteristic, which helps you to management somebody’s iPhone display remotely. Each of you will have to have iOS 18 beta 2 put in and reside exterior of the EU.
Apple additionally quietly turned on the assist for RCS messaging. It’s a toggle you must allow within the Settings app within the Messages part. The toggle reads RCS Messaging. The truth that you possibly can flip it on and off signifies that it’s not simply as much as Apple to make RCS messaging occur on iPhone. Customers can have the ultimate say within the matter.
The issue isn’t all iPhone customers who’ve upgraded to iOS 18 beta 2 get the brand new RCS Messaging characteristic. I’m a type of who doesn’t have the brand new setting on my iPhone 14 Professional. I put in the iOS 18 beta as quickly because it turned accessible, but it surely’s as much as my service to allow RCS messaging assist. I assume I’ll get the characteristic in some unspecified time in the future down the street, not that I’ll textual content anybody through RCS anytime quickly.
Most people I chat with use WhatsApp in Europe, and that’s my essential instantaneous messaging app. Issues aren’t prone to change after iOS 18 rolls out.
It’s not simply in Europe. As 9to5Mac says, not all US carriers have enabled RCS messaging assist for iPhone. AT&T and T-Cell assist RCS messaging on iPhone. When you’re utilizing both firm, you would possibly attempt to use RCS texting proper now.
When you’re questioning how secure iOS 18 beta 2 is, I’ll inform you the primary beta was extremely polished. You’d don’t have any downside utilizing the second launch on a day by day driver. If you wish to anticipate the iOS 18 public beta 1 earlier than testing RCS messaging, it’ll most likely be accessible in a number of weeks.
