Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a protocol allowing more robust and comprehensive support for texting and file sharing, especially for individuals with different phone models and carriers. It is largely seen as a successor to SMS and MMS technologies.
There has been a great deal of pressure from regulators, competitors, and consumers for Apple to adopt RCS, which they have consistently rejected in favor of their proprietary iMessage service.
Adopting RCS would allow iPhone users to communicate via text message with other phone users in a more customer-friendly manner.
Will Apple adopt RCS technology for iPhones before 2026?
If by December 31, 2025, Apple has added RCS technology for text messaging to at least one model of mass-market consumer mobile phones available for purchase, this question will resolve as Yes. Otherwise, this question will resolve as No.