Say bye to SMS . As of last week , Googlefinished cast out RCS messagingon Android phones in the U.S.—meaning , it ’s usable regardless of your carrier .

To recap , RCS , orRich Communication Services , is a case of messaging protocol that does a underworld of a lot more than basic SMS . For dispatcher , it has an 8,000 character limit compared to SMS ’s 160 , supports read receipts , and can use wifi to send content . It ’s more like Apple ’s iMessage or more modern messaging apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger .

https://gizmodo.com/how-to-use-your-laptop-to-send-messages-from-your-phone-1837058208

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That said , RCS is n’t exactly new . Google ’s been make moving ridge about it replacing SMSsince at least 2016 . Unfortunately , carriers have been slow to roll out RCS as mesh and software package updates are involve to make it work . A few calendar month ago , Google saidit was speeding up the processby direct get exploiter opt - in . At the time there was n’t a open timeline , but everyone in the U.S. should be able to do so now . ( external users might have to wait a minute longer , depending on where they endure . )

To enable RCS , all you call for to do is have the later versions of the Google Messages app and Carrier Services . If RCS is n’t enable by default , then you should receive a “ Do more with substance ” presentment that will come in with the option to toggle it on .

There are still a few caveats . While you will be able to glean the welfare of RCS , it only works if the mortal you ’re messaging also has RCS enabled . Similarly , RCS messages are n’t end - to - goal encrypted just yet , so if privacy is a major priority for you , you might be better off stick by with Signal or Telegram . Also , unlike Apple ’s iMessage , you ca n’t sync your messages across multiple Android devices . That say , it ’s still light-colored years better than SMS .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

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