RCS

The Future of Messaging
&
The Successor to SMS

Messaging is becoming the default way the world communicates. It started with text messaging or SMS. RCS is the upgrade to SMS with modern messaging features and the global reach that can finally connect every person and business on the planet instantly.

Send large, high-res images and videos

Better group chat capabilities

Typing indicator and read receipts

Messages sent via WIFI vs. cell networks

Send longer messages with 8000 character limit

What is RCS?

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a messaging protocol that acts as an upgrade to text messaging or SMS. RCS allows for higher as high-resolution photos, GIFs and videos, features you find on “over-the-top” (OTT) messaging apps like iMessage, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram and Twitter/X direct messages. The only problem with OTT apps is users of one can’t message users of another. E.g. an iPhone Message user can’t message someone on WhatsApp without both having the app. OTT messaging platforms lack “interoperability”, something RCS solves. Because it’s not an app but a way for apps to function, RCS can serve as the bridge between separate “messaging islands”. Otherwise, SMS or “green bubbles” on iPhones were the only interoperable way to message.

Who’s responsible for implementing RCS? This has been unclear and evolving for years in a saga that involves telephone carriers, manufacturers, governments, tech giants and messaging platforms (including ours). RCS adoption is an option determined by platform owners, contributing to the lack of consensus. Since SMS is offered by telecom operators around the world, they spearheaded the initial unification effort via their “Universal Profile” implementation of RCS and in some countries (like Japan, S. Korea) even formed joint ventures to build and offer RCS services. Google, the market leader, has been rolling out its own implementation of RCS and most recently, Apple announced its adoption in iOS 18. Given the scale of the parties involved, implementation timelines are yet unclear.

Why RCS MatterS?

RCS is perhaps the most under-discussed and misunderstood topics in technology. Its history underlies much of today’s news about regulation and power struggles between technology giants like Google, Apple, Meta and just about every major worldwide app. Mei’s founder has written a series of articles detailing its history, starting with one about the messaging landscape amongst tech giants.

The implementation of a universal way for most people in the world to chat with each other, and more importantly, for businesses to chat with them is very consequential. Personal messaging is by and large free compared to the hundreds of billions of dollars businesses worldwide pay a year to communicate by direct messaging and advertising.

With AI becoming more ubiquitous, business communication via chatbots will only add to the importance of messaging and RCS. If a business AI can chat directly with every person on the planet via their phone number through RCS, they wouldn’t need a website, apps, a social media account or even a good portion of their human communications workforce.

What has mei built?

Mei was the first independent SMS app to launch RCS. Our RCS is available to all Android users on Mei.

You are able to send larger videos, higher quality pictures and GIFs to other Mei users. We will be adding in typing indicators and read receipts shortly.

To begin with this is only working between Mei users, but as soon as Google and/or the carriers share their APIs, it will work with other messaging platforms that support RCS.

End-to-End Encrypted RCS

Mei’s RCS is the first end-to-end encrypted RCS on the market. This means we can offer you the improved messaging functionality of RCS, along with a more secure messaging protocol. Messages will only be encrypted when sent between you and another Mei user and you are both using RCS.

How do I use RCS on Mei?

If you use Mei and have RCS turned on, Mei will automatically try and send a message, picture, or video via RCS. If you are outside of a connectivity area (no WiFi or LTE) and/or the person you are texting doesn’t have RCS on Mei activated (or has no connectivity), the message will automatically revert back to SMS.

All you need to do is make sure you have RCS turned on in Settings:

Settings>Account and Advanced Features>Data Messages (RCS)

Once activated, RCS will be the new default between you and other Mei users and SMS the fallback.