How to Turn Off RCS on iPhone in iOS 18
When iOS 18 rolled out with RCS (Rich Communication Services) support, I was pretty excited. The idea of having enhanced messaging features like typing indicators and better media sharing seemed like a nice upgrade, especially for staying in touch with friends who aren’t on iMessage. But after using it for a while, I realized it wasn’t really adding much to my daily messaging routine. In fact, it started to feel more like an unnecessary layer.
iMessage, RCS, or SMS/MMS
You can use the Messages app on your iPhone to send messages, and depending on the recipient, your messages are sent as iMessage, RCS, or SMS/MMS. iMessages can be sent to another iPhone or Apple device over Wi-Fi or cellular networks. With iMessage, you can send texts, high-resolution photos and videos, documents, links, Tapbacks, text effects, Live Stickers, and more. iMessage also supports delivery and read receipts, as well as typing indicators. These messages appear in blue text bubbles, so it’s easy to tell when you’re using iMessage.
If you aren’t using iMessage, you can use RCS. RCS allows you to send text messages to non-Apple devices, and it also works between iPhones or other Apple devices when Text Message Forwarding is turned on. With RCS, you can send texts, high-resolution photos and videos, links, and more, just like iMessage. It also supports delivery and read receipts and typing indicators. However, RCS messages appear in green text bubbles on your device, making it easy to tell them apart from iMessages.
If you aren’t using iMessage or RCS, you can still rely on SMS/MMS. These text messages can be sent to non-Apple devices, as well as to another iPhone or Apple device with Text Message Forwarding turned on. With SMS/MMS, you can send texts, photos, videos, links, and more, but without the added perks of iMessage or RCS like delivery receipts or typing indicators. Like RCS, SMS/MMS messages appear in green text bubbles on your device.
Carrier Support
To use RCS, you need iOS 18 and a text-messaging plan from a carrier that supports RCS on iPhone. It’s worth noting that RCS is enabled by default when you update to iOS 18. If you want to see if your carrier supports RCS, visit this link and find your carrier to check. You can also check to see if your carrier supports RCS by going to Settings > General > About. Tap Carrier, and if your carrier supports RCS, you’ll see Voice, SMS & RCS. If your carrier doesn’t support RCS, you’ll see Voice & SMS. For me, though, RCS didn’t really change much. Most of my contacts already use iMessage, so I found myself not needing the extra features that RCS offered. After some time, I decided to turn it off and stick with what worked best for me: simple and reliable texting. If you feel the same way or just want to streamline your messaging experience, I’ll show you how to easily disable RCS on your iPhone in iOS 18.
Steps to Change Your RCS Settings
If you’ve decided that RCS isn’t for you, turning it off on your iPhone is a straightforward process. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Settings App
Go to your iPhone’s home screen and tap the gray gear icon to open the Settings app. - Tap on “Apps”
In the Settings menu, scroll down and tap on Apps. - Select “Messages”
Find and select Messages from the list of apps. - Tap on “RCS Messaging”
Locate the RCS Messaging option and tap on it. - Turn Off “RCS Messaging”
Once you’re in the RCS Messaging settings, toggle the option off. If you want to turn it on again later, follow the same steps. - Restart Your iPhone (Optional)
I like to restart my iPhone after changing settings to ensure everything works smoothly. To restart, press and hold the side button and either volume button, then slide to power off. Turn it back on by holding the side button.
Now you’ve successfully turned off RCS on your iPhone. Moving forward, your messages to non-iPhone users will default to SMS/MMS, giving you a simpler messaging experience.
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