Google posts Android ad about RCS coming to iPhone [Video]

With the launch of iOS 18 this fall, the iPhone will support RCS for meaningfully improved messaging experience with Android users, and Google today released an ad to highlight that.

Posted to the Android YouTube channel, Google opens with: “Rich Communication Services is finally coming to iPhone.” The ad specifically highlights three existing advantages, though more work is already underway:

• No more blur between Android and iPhones: Higher-resolution images and videos given a cloud backend
• No more broken group chats: Ability to leave group chats
• Read receipts and typing indicators: Can be disabled

“Better photos, videos, group chats messaging for everyone with RCS” is the ending tagline for this 30-second ad aimed at Android users.

There’s a link to an updated android.com/get-the-message where there’s an “Availability of the service varies by region and carrier” disclaimer. As of the iOS 18 Beta, support has to be enabled by Apple on a carrier-by-carrier basis. For example, Google Fi is not supported today.

• Related: RCS on iPhone rolling out to more carriers around the world with iOS 18 beta 3

The iOS 18 is expected to come this fall (around September), while those that join the beta have access to it already

More on RCS:

• RCS update standardizes message replies, editing, reactions, more for Android & iPhone
• Google Messages removes no encryption icon from iPhone RCS chats
• iPhone adding RCS support (and copying these Google Messages features in iOS 18)