iOS 18 RCS Messaging: Supported Carriers List and Latest Updates
Apple made a big move with iOS 18 by introducing support for RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging, finally bridging the gap between iPhone and Android users when it comes to texting. If you’ve ever been frustrated by the limitations of SMS—like the lack of read receipts or typing indicators—RCS changes the game. With this protocol, you can see when your messages have been read or delivered, know when the other person is typing, and even send larger files without hassle. It’s a modern upgrade that makes texting feel more in line with today’s expectations, whether you’re chatting with a fellow iPhone user or someone on Android.
iOS 18 RCS Messaging
When Apple first launched RCS support, only the three major carriers in the U.S.—AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile—were on board. That was a good start, but not exactly groundbreaking. Since then, Apple has expanded the list, and now, many smaller carriers (especially MVNOs or mobile virtual network operators) have jumped in.
Supported Carriers
Here’s the current list of carriers confirmed by Apple that support iOS 18 RCS messaging on iPhones as of now:
- AT&T
- Boost Mobile (requires iOS 18.2)
- C Spire
- Consumer Cellular
- Cricket
- FirstNet
- H20 Wireless
- Metro by T-Mobile
- PureTalk
- Red Pocket
- Spectrum Mobile
- T-Mobile
- TracFone / Straight Talk
- US Cellular
- Verizon
- Visible
- Xfinity Mobile
This is a significant step up compared to the initial rollout, which only included the big three carriers. Now, there’s noticeably more support from smaller providers, which is a big win for users of these budget-friendly networks. However, the adoption still isn’t perfect, and there are some surprising gaps in the list.
For instance, Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile—two MVNOs with a combined 3 million subscribers in the U.S.—are still missing. What’s interesting about these two is that they were both acquired by T-Mobile earlier this year. Despite this, it seems T-Mobile hasn’t prioritized enabling RCS for its sub-brands just yet. That’s a bit ironic, considering T-Mobile is one of the earliest and strongest adopters of RCS among the major carriers.
It’s possible that support for Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile could roll out in the future, but for now, their subscribers are stuck without access to the enhanced messaging features. This could be frustrating for users who expected seamless integration after the acquisition.
Apple has stated that they’ll continue updating the list of carriers that support RCS messaging, so we can expect even more improvements down the line. For now, though, it’s exciting to see how far we’ve come since the early days of RCS support.
While the protocol still isn’t available everywhere, the growing list of participating carriers shows a promising trend toward making modern messaging features accessible to more people. If your carrier isn’t on the list yet, it might just be a matter of time before they join in on the fun. Stay tuned!
