Set Messages as your default messaging app. If you have multiple SIM cards in your phone, ensure that the same card used for data is the default for calls.Ĭheck your Android version Chat only works on Android 5 and later. It's a waiting game.īefore turning on RCS, you’ll need to check the following:Įnsure your phone is connected to the internet.ĭownload the latest version of Google’s Messages app, or your preferred SMS app if it supports RCS. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to enable RCS if it’s not available for your specific device or on your carrier. RCS is not universally supported, so you might not have it on your phone. How Do I Get RCS Messages on My Android Phone? Chat also supports various data formats, including GIFs, stickers, location, photos, documents, videos, and similar. Lastly, RCS supports group messaging, read receipts, message reactions, and a typing indicator, all of which are not available on SMS and MMS. As mentioned, RCS surpasses this limit, enabling you to send files of up to 105MB in size. MMS has a meager file limit, which is why shared images are typically blurry. This is done using MMS, or Multimedia Messaging Service. Sharing multimedia files is also not possible with SMS. With RCS, you can send lengthy messages well past the 160 character limit. This explains why longer texts are split into segments by default when sending a message via SMS. As a result, using RCS takes more than just downloading a compatible app, unlike other free messaging apps for Android.Īnother difference between RCS and SMS is each SMS message is limited to 160 characters. On the other hand, RCS is not universally supported by every Android smartphone yet.Īnd not every Android device comes preinstalled with Google's Messages app. Virtually all phones, including feature ('dumb') phones, come with a dedicated SMS app. For RCS, you’ll need to connect to the internet first.Īnother distinctive feature is that you don’t need to download an extra app to use SMS. SMS has a minimal barrier for entry, with only a cellular connection and signal needed. For example, you do not need a mobile data or Wi-Fi connection to use SMS. SMS has its own features that make it distinct from modern instant messaging platforms and even RCS.

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