Google Reports iPhone Users Embrace RCS, Sending Over a Billion Messages Daily, But SMS/MMS Dominates in the U.S.

Initially, Apple hesitated to embrace the new Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard for messaging. However, following its eventual acceptance, Google reported a surge in usage, claiming that nearly 1 billion RCS messages are transmitted daily within the United States. This remarkable statistic is, in part, attributable to the iPhone’s widespread popularity among consumers.

The Rise of RCS: Opportunities and Challenges

In the competitive landscape of mobile messaging, Apple’s iMessage has long dominated due to the enduring popularity of its devices. Google sought to position RCS as a viable alternative, aiming to persuade Apple to integrate the new protocol into its Messages app. The adoption of RCS enables devices outside the Apple ecosystem to exchange a richer variety of communications, extending beyond traditional text messages to include multimedia content and group chats.

By 2023, RCS had amassed an impressive user base, with over a billion users monthly, indicating its growing acceptance. Fast forward to 2025, it is anticipated that RCS will continue to redefine messaging standards, setting new benchmarks in the process.

In an official statement, Google highlighted the significant growth in RCS messaging: “Users in the United States are sending more than a billion RCS messages every day.”

“Over the last few years, we’ve been focused on improving how people connect, no matter what phone they have. That’s why we helped make RCS the messaging standard for Android and iOS. Now, in the U. S.alone, there are more than a billion RCS messages sent every day (based on an average of the last 28 days).This means more people have been able to send high-quality photos and videos, and add someone to the group chat without it breaking.”

Despite this impressive growth in RCS messaging, traditional SMS and MMS protocols still dominate in volume, with upwards of 6 billion messages sent each day across the United States. This enduring prevalence can be largely attributed to the lack of carrier support for RCS on iPhones and other devices. As telecommunication providers upgrade their systems to incorporate RCS, a significant increase in user adoption is expected.

Are you utilizing RCS on your Android device? We invite you to share your experiences in the comments—do you feel that RCS enhances your messaging compared to traditional SMS and MMS?

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