Apple finally gets the message: RCS goes live for iOS 18 beta users

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon customers running iOS 18 beta 2 can now enjoy the upgraded messaging experience.

Apple finally gets the message: RCS goes live for iOS 18 beta users
Apple iMessages on iPhone stock photo 1
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
  • iOS 18 beta 2 includes a new RCS option in the iPhone’s Settings app, allowing testers to toggle it as desired.
  • Despite the RCS toggle being on by default, the feature itself didn’t work on iPhones for a couple of days.
  • US carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, have now rolled out support for RCS on iPhone, enabling testers to finally use it.

Following multiple “Help Apple get the message” campaigns by Google, the iPhone maker announced last year that it would adopt RCS in 2024. Well, the wait is finally over — for some, at least. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have now rolled out RCS support to US users running iOS 18 beta 2.

As spotted by multiple Reddit users, the RCS functionality finally works for those using a compatible US carrier. While iOS 18 beta 2 was released on Monday, RCS wasn’t initially working. That’s because individual carriers must manually update their bundles that ship with iOS.