iPhone owners are in luck these days, it’s no wonder that iOS 18 brings a fair amount of new features to phones. And there’s one that’s welcome to us on Android: the iOS update finally brings RCS messages, those Free SMS that Google has been promoting for years. We explain how you can send them.
Between an iPhone and an Android mobile there are no exaggerated differences beyond their mobile operating system, since they are smartphones that behave similarly, offer identical key applications and not only establish communication links between people, but also allow them to reproduce all types of content. However, both maintained an almost insurmountable difference: your own messaging system. Almost.
You can now send RCS messages from your Android to an iPhone for free
Left, RCS message to an iPhone running iOS 18; right, SMS to an iPhone with iOS 17
Text messages have been the standard for written communication between mobile phones for nearly 32 years, although they have eventually evolved into instant messaging platforms. Apple and Google have opted for join private text messages and chats under one roof: messages in the Apple ecosystem and RCS messages on Android. The first closed, the second open to operators and manufacturers.
After confirming that iPhones would eventually adopt RCS messages to easily communicate with Androids, it took until the official arrival of iOS 18 for the bridge to finally be established. Indeed, if you try to send an SMS to a contact with an iPhone you will probably see that the RCS protocol is automatically enabled.
Messages indicate the protocol you are using in the chat
After the automatic activation that came with iOS 18, updated iPhones can automatically receive RCS messages. On Android, this usually comes by default, although sometimes you have to do the process manually: just open the “Messages” app, enter the top avatar bubble, click “Settings” and enter “RCS Chat”. If they are not active, just ask for them.
Make sure your Android has active RCS messages by going to the “RCS Chat” option in the Messages app settings.
And how do you know if we are sending a free message to an iPhone? Just follow these steps:
- Open your Messages app on Android.
- Click “Start Chat” below.
- Find the contact you want to chat with who has an iPhone.
- When the conversation window opens you will see that a “RCS Message“. This means that the contact has been updated to iOS 18 and you can exchange messages for free.
- If you open the conversation with the contact and see that a “SMS» means you haven’t updated your iPhone to iOS 18. Your carrier will charge you for text messages according to your rate (they may provide them for free).
With RCS messaging, you can exchange messages, but also photos, stickers, other files, location or contact information. All for free and without you having to take any additional steps.. Although yes, the bubbles do not change color: the iPhone will continue to display them in green and differentiate them from messages on an iPhone, which will continue to be blue.
Cover image | Ivan Linares
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