Rich Communication Services, or RCS, is a messaging protocol now used by many across the US and the globe, but it wasn’t always the case. It took ages to gain momentum after its conception in 2007. However, despite its accelerated adoption, the protocol still isn’t quite as ubiquitous as SMS.
This is especially apparent when using the protocol to communicate with those on Apple devices. iPhones require RCS users to be tied to a supported carrier, leaving many who enjoy cheaper prepaid plans out in the cold. The fact that Apple only recently adopted RCS also put a spanner in the works.