Apple’s Messages app has come a long way since its early days with iPhone 3GS in 2007. While it initially lagged behind Android users with SMS and MMS, the latest update to iOS 18 brings Rich Communication Services (RCS) support, making messaging easier for Apple users.
With RCS, high-resolution photos and videos are now supported, eliminating pixelated images that previously made messages look like they were sent from an old flip phone. This feature has been a game-changer for the author, who can now share quality images and videos with Android-using family members without having to upload them to other apps.
Another benefit of RCS is read receipts, which show when a message was delivered and read by the recipient. While not all features are perfect – end-to-end encryption (E2EE) between Android and iPhone devices is still missing – RCS has improved the overall messaging experience for Apple users.
For those with mixed ecosystems, like the author’s family where one member uses an iPhone and another Android device, having RCS support is a great quality of life improvement. Despite some room for improvement, this update marks an important step forward in messaging technology.
Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/i-finally-have-rcs-on-my-iphone-and-its-my-favortie-ios-18-feature