Finally! Google, Not Apple, Reveals RCS Messaging For iPhone Is Coming Soon

The long-awaited announcement of when RCS messaging would become available on Apple’s iOS platform has come from an unexpected source, none other than Google. Until Google’s surprise and short-lived announcement, Apple had only remarked about the arrival as being “later next year,” following its announcement of RCS in November 2023.

While it appears Google has since removed the information from Android’s Google Message landing page about RCS coming to iOS in the fall, it appeared for a short time. The announcement was under a section describing the benefits of RCS, with a headline reading “Better messaging for all.” Directly beneath that, it read, “Apple has announced it will be adopting RCS in the fall of 2024. Once that happens, it will mean a better messaging experience for everyone.”


This isn’t the first time Google has poked at the fact Apple’s iOS lacks RCS capabilities. During the tech giant’s “Best Phones Forever” campaign, Google had a little fun with Apple’s late arrival into the USB-C era, as well as its lack of RCS support. So, it is slightly surprising Google has removed its latest jab at Apple.

The new landing page for Google Messages was not all about RCS coming to iOS, however. Other announcements included upcoming features such as new screen effects, custom themes, and animated emoji and reactions. All of these features are currently available to test out in the beta version of Google Messages.

For those that may want to partake in the beta for Google Messages on Android, simply go to the Google Play Store app, navigate to Google Messages, and then scroll down to where it shows information about joining the beta program. Once joined, be sure to update the app to its beta version.

RCS support will make its way onto iOS in due time. Until then, there is little doubt Google will continue to find new and creative ways to make Apple and its users feel the burn of its late adoption.