How is RCS different from SMS?
SMS is a 1980s-era plain-text protocol limited to 160 characters and basic media. RCS was built by the GSMA as a modern replacement, supporting rich media (images, video, audio), interactive buttons, suggested replies, branded sender profiles, read receipts and typing indicators.
For businesses, the most important difference is trust and engagement. RCS Business Messaging shows your verified brand name and logo at the top of the conversation — not just a phone number — which lifts read and reply rates compared to plain SMS.
Who supports RCS today?
On Android, Google Messages supports RCS by default and the carrier ecosystem in the US, UK, EU and most of APAC has rolled it out. Apple began supporting RCS on iOS in late 2024, which made RCS a credible cross-platform standard for the first time.
Coverage is not yet 100%. Any production messaging program needs intelligent SMS fallback — sending RCS where supported and SMS where it isn't — without the sender having to think about it.
When should businesses use RCS?
Use RCS when the experience benefits from richer interaction: order confirmations with carousels, appointment booking with suggested replies, identity verification with branded sender profiles, or onboarding flows where buttons remove friction.
TextConvo handles RCS sending, branded profile setup and SMS fallback under one AI-orchestrated flow — so you design one journey instead of two.