We all know that RCS is coming to iPhone, so it’s just a matter of “when” not “if.” Thankfully, the “when” is very soon as multiple T-Mobile MVNOs are now getting support for the Rich Communications Services messaging protocol.
T-Mobile did not make this official, so obviously there’s catch that goes with the news. For the moment, RCS only works on the iPhone if you have iOS 18.4 Beta 2 installed, at least according to the latest reports on Reddit.
Before you start using RCS to message your Android friends, you first make sure it’s enabled by heading to Settings / Apps / Messages / RCS. Keep in mind that the RCS toggle will only appear if you have iOS 18.4 Beta 2 installed.
Unfortunately, even having RCS enabled on iOS 18.2 Beta 2 doesn’t seem to make it work for some iPhone users. That’s most likely because the implementation isn’t completed, and T-Mobile’s backend systems are only able to accept a certain number of users that probably meant to test RCS before primetime.
As an iOS developer, I downloaded the iOS 18.4 beta 2 and RCS is showing for both Light Speed and Warp, however, they are struck in “Waiting for activation”. Under the IMS in the Settings/About for both networks it shows only: Voice & SMS. RCS is not listed; it could be a bundle issue. Hopefully, with the general release of iOS 18.4, both networks RCS will work. I cannot speak for Dark Star since I don’t have it.
– reddit user highkickr, March 2025
One developer recommends a very simple solution to this “Waiting for activation” issue that some iPhone users have after enabling RCS. The solution is to simply open a conversation with a friend that has an Android phone and RCS enabled and send them a message. If the message goes through, the status should immediately change to RCS. You might also have to reboot your phone if this doesn’t work.
Sometime the RCS status only only appear after you send a message | Screenshot credit: reddit user highkickr
By the way, Google Fi users report that iPhone RCS is available for them too and so are Mint Mobile customers, but, once again, you absolutely must have iPhone 18.4 Beta 2 installed. This means that the RCS toggle will not appear on the iPhone 18 beta public.
It’s very important to mention that this shouldn’t be publicly available, so it’s just thanks to several iOS developers who spotted the RCS toggle after Apple released iOS 18.4 Beta 2 that we’re able to report about it.
RCS is implemented and ready to go, just make sure to activate it under Settings->Apps->Messages->RCS and toggle it on in iOS 18.4 Beta 2. Activation may take some time, there's probably a large queue, but I do see confirmation that RCS does work in iOS 18.4 Beta 2.
– reddit user jason_he54, March 2025
Even though T-Mobile has already implemented iPhone RCS for its MVNOs, there’s no telling whether or not it will be publicly available with the iOS 18.4 release, but it surely looks like it might happen.
Speaking of which, Apple is expected to launch iOS 18.4 sometime in April, so it makes sense for MVNOs to have everything ready before the public release, hence the testing period.
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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.
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