here's the technology that will replace them (and how to activate it on your phone)

Have you ever heard of RCS? If not, read carefully. RCS (Rich Communication Services), is a new international standard protocol for the communications industry. More specifically, it offers users the possibility to exchange messages « enriched, multimedia and interactive.

In other words, it replaces the SMS/MMS function by getting as close as possible to the messaging service of the applications you use, like whatsapp or even Facebook Messenger. This will allow the classic SMS/MMS interface to benefit from many more features (which can therefore be found in the applications mentioned), without having to download these same applications.

Conversations with more features

Apple users already have a good example with iMessage, this will be a bit similar. If you're asking which phones will or can already upgrade to RCS, the answer might surprise you. Indeed, this protocol is compatible with smartphones that operate under the Android operating system (via their Messages application already installed).

In fact, many of you may already be using it, without perhaps even noticing it. However, not all phone models can benefit from it, as explained by France Num : ” Some relatively old phone models are not compatible with RCS. If RCS is already available on your phone, then this is or will be indicated to you on your traditional messaging application.

Not all Apple users can use it yet

For once, it's the big apple brand that's a little behind. In fact, not all iPhone models are yet compatible with the protocol. This must involve technical adjustments to ensure support for RCS.

Apple has in fact integrated RCS into its iOS 18 mobile operating system, but, for other models, has left the freedom to each operator to make it available to their users. Operators must therefore carry out network configurations. SFR was the very first operator to offer RCS in France, with the launch of iOS 18 in July 2024. The operator Free followed suit, as did Bouygues Telecom, which has offered this protocol since December 12, on Apple and Android. However, this is not yet the case for Orange, which has not given any indication of deployment. Subscribers to this operator can rest assured, this could happen this year, and they could benefit from it, just as much as subscribers of other operators. The latter, however, were much more responsive than Orange.

Journalist

Originally from Toulouse, I moved to Cannes in 2021. It is therefore very close to the sea and palm trees that I have been writing for Au Féminin since 2022. Accustomed to…