What Apple's RCS release means for Marketers

Apple RCS Support in 2025: Redefining Mobile Messaging for Marketers

With the rollout of iOS 18, Apple has officially joined the RCS conversation in a new era of rich, dynamic, and interactive messaging. The long-anticipated adoption of Apple RCS messaging is one of the most significant updates to business communication in years.

Historically, Apple’s iMessage supported advanced features like media sharing and read receipts but only between iPhone users. Green bubble SMS messages with Android users remained basic and static. That’s now changing. With Apple’s support of Rich Communication Services (RCS), messaging between iPhones and Android devices becomes more modern, secure, and seamless.

For marketers, this is a game changer. The ability to deliver rich, app-like messaging experiences across both major mobile platforms presents a massive opportunity to enhance engagement, build customer loyalty, and future-proof mobile marketing strategies.

Whether you're launching a product, promoting a sale, or providing customer support, Apple RCS empowers your brand to do it with clarity, interactivity, and measurable results.

Key Features of RCS on iPhones

Apple’s integration of RCS in iOS 18.1 dramatically improves what “green bubble” messaging can do. While RCS messages will still appear in green (to distinguish them from iMessages), the feature set is significantly more advanced than traditional SMS.

Here are the core features of Apple RCS messaging:

• High-resolution media: Share vibrant images, GIFs, and videos directly in the message thread.

• Interactive elements: Add buttons for confirmation, booking, purchasing, and more—all without leaving the messaging app.

• Typing indicators and read receipts: Provide real-time feedback to customers and increase transparency.

• Carousels: Display multiple product images or offers in an easy to swipe format.

• Verified sender checkmarks: Let customers know your business messages are legitimate and secure.

• Expanded character limits: Go beyond the 160-character SMS limit to create clear, detailed messages.

Importantly, Apple RCS functionality is carrier- and market-dependent. While the software supports it, availability in regions like Australia is still evolving as it is dependent on local carrier adoption.

Where is Apple RCS Messaging Available?

Apple announced RCS support at its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and began rollout with the iOS 18 beta. While iOS 18.1 enables RCS messaging for supported carriers, access is not yet universal across all regions.

Available markets

RCS on iPhone is currently live in select markets such as the United States, where carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile have already enabled the service for iPhone users.

iPhone RCS availability in Australia

In Australia, major carriers including Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone have not yet confirmed full RCS enablement for iPhone users. Similarly, in New Zealand, carriers such as Spark and Vodafone NZ are still in the early stages of assessing RCS rollout.

Carrier infrastructure, testing requirements, and market demand will all shape the pace of release. However, with Apple now behind RCS, it’s only a matter of time before we see wider support across these networks.

If you're marketing in Australia or New Zealand, now is the time to learn, prepare, and register interest in RCS—even if full functionality is still pending.

Why Apple RCS adoption matters for Marketing

Apple’s adoption of RCS isn’t just a tech update, it marks a strategic turning point in how businesses can communicate with their customers. Marketers now have a more powerful and interactive channel to engage customers. RCS marketing strategies offer a variety of advantages over traditional SMS, transforming the way brands communicate.Here’s what makes it so important for marketers.

Enhanced customer engagement and richer messaging

Gone are the days of bland, text-only promotions. Apple RCS enables marketers to send media-rich messages, complete with video, product carousels, maps, and interactive buttons making the customer journey more seamless. This allows brands to create immersive and interactive campaigns that increase click-through rates, improve recall, and drive conversions.

With Apple's RCS messaging, brands can offer interactive experiences, such as enabling purchases or appointment bookings directly from the message, fostering higher engagement.

More consistency in cross-platform messaging

For years, marketers have had to manage the iOS vs Android divide. With Apple’s RCS rollout, there’s finally a unified messaging standard, ensuring consistency in how messages appear and function across all major mobile devices.

That means no more downgrades for Android users or limitations for iPhone recipients. Just one clear, consistent experience for every customer. RCS can enhance the customer journey by complementing other channels like email or social media, creating a cohesive brand experience.

RCS business messaging and monetisation potential

RCS isn't just a richer SMS—it's a next-gen business messaging tool. Features like verified senders, in-message transactions, and campaign analytics bring marketing and sales closer together, enabling direct monetisation from the message thread.

Marketers can track read rates, button clicks, and even completed actions (like purchases or appointment bookings), helping optimise performance in real time.

Interactive customer support

RCS isn’t just for marketing, it also improves customer support by enabling real-time assistance through buttons, links, and interactive content. This reduces friction and makes it easier for customers to get help, improving overall satisfaction.

Competitive advantage in a changing landscape

As mobile messaging evolves, early adopters of Apple RCS in Australia will have a distinct edge. Customers will expect more dynamic, personalised messaging. Businesses that embrace RCS now will be ahead of the curve—and ahead of their competitors.

Use Cases for Apple RCS messaging

RCS can improve business messaging across industries and use cases. With iPhone users set to become a part of the RCS network, here are just a few ways brands can capitalise:

• Retail and E-commerce: Showcase products with carousels and “Buy Now” buttons.

• Healthcare: Send appointment reminders with built-in options to confirm or reschedule.

• Events and Entertainment: Deliver dynamic, rich invites with interactive elements. Include embedded maps and RSVP buttons. The ability to measure responses in real-time ensures better tracking of engagement.

• Travel and Hospitality: Provide boarding passes, weather updates, or check-in links.

• Financial Services: Enable secure two-factor authentication or account updates.

• Loyalty Programs: Distribute tailored loyalty rewards and allow members to redeem offers in-message. Through interactive buttons and personalised content, brands can deliver rewards, gather feedback, or offer customised discounts based on user preferences and past purchases.

• Product launches: With rich media support and interactive buttons, RCS is ideal for launching new products. Brands can send high-quality images or videos of new items, with CTA buttons that link directly to purchase options.

• Appointment Reminders: The integration of interactive buttons allows for a smoother customer experience. For example, a healthcare provider can send an RCS message reminding patients of their upcoming appointment, with buttons to confirm, reschedule, or add the appointment to their calendar.

• Customer Feedback: Prompt users with simple, interactive rating buttons or surveys. Leverage the interactivity of RCS to collect customer feedback easily. For instance, a company can send an RCS message asking for feedback after a purchase, with CTA buttons to fill out surveys or rate the product, enabling a smooth, engaging experience for users.

Source: https://www.apple.com/au/ios/ios-18-preview/

RCS vs. SMS

While SMS has served as the backbone of mobile communication for decades, it has a number of problems that RCS addresses.

In essence, RCS is designed to provide a richer, more engaging and secure messaging experience, making it a superior choice for businesses looking to connect with their customers.

Here's a side by side comparison:

Source: https://developers.google.com/static/business-communications/rcs-business-messaging/files/rbm-master-deck.pdf

RCS opportunities for marketers

Looking at MobileSquared data - the interest in RCS messaging for business is growing. With a 36.3% growth in users over 12-months. But, compatibility across Apple vs. Android has been a long-standing question until now. As when we're sending a campaign we want interoperability to ensure:

• We can reach as much of our intended audience as possible.

• Our audience can interact with the message as intended.

Apple's iOS 18 beta addresses this, providing certainty that your RCS messages will be delivered with those premium interactive features.

Apple adopting RCS signals a new era for marketers. Brands that embrace RCS marketing strategies can create dynamic, personalised, and interactive campaigns that captivate customers across iOS and Android platforms, maximising engagement and boosting ROI.

Start your RCS marketing journey with Kudosity

At Kudosity, we’re helping Australian businesses get ahead by educating the market and preparing teams for a future of Apple RCS adoption. While full carrier support in Australia is still emerging, marketers that want to stay ahead should start to prepare now.

Whether you're a marketer, developer, or business owner, we offer:

• A secure platform.

• AI-powered automation tools.

• Campaign tracking and analytics.

• Support for SMS and MMS, with WhatsApp and RCS Beta registration for early access.

Even if iPhone RCS in Australia isn’t fully live yet, Kudosity enables you to plan, test, and future-proof your strategy—so you're ready the moment your carrier enables RCS.

• Ensure that your marketing platform supports RCS and start experimenting with its capabilities. The sooner you start, the quicker you'll be able to leverage its full potential.

• Start creating rich media assets that can be used in RCS campaigns. This includes high-quality images, videos and interactive elements that will capture your audience's attention.

• Focus on personalisation: Use the data you have on your customers to create personalised RCS messages that resonate with their preferences and behaviours. The ability to send customised messages with RCS marketing strategies allows for personal connections at scale. Brands can use data to tailor messages, such as personalised video content or targeted promotions based on browsing habits, which improves relevance and enhances the customer experience.

• Test and iterate: Like any new marketing tool, it's important to test your RCS campaigns and iterate based on the results. Use analytics to understand what's working and make adjustments as needed.

• Real-Time Analytics and Measurable Results:
  Unlike SMS, RCS offers read receipts, typing indicators, and tracking of user interactions. This gives marketers valuable insights into customer behaviour, allowing them to adjust campaigns for better performance and optimise ROI.

Explore our RCS Messaging Solutions or register your interest to join our Beta program and get hands-on experience with the future of mobile messaging.