RCS vs. SMS/MMS: Which Is Better For Texting?

Last updated on October 18th, 2024 at 04:49 pm

With billions of smartphone users worldwide, texting is one of the most important ways to stay connected. It provides a lot of benefits for people who wish to communicate easily without calling. For many years, people used SMS/MMS as a way to text others. Recently, RCS has been receiving widespread adoption, giving users additional features that are designed to make texting more effective. In this article, you will find out the difference between RCS and SMS/MMS, so you can decide which protocol is better for texting.

SMS (Short Message Service) is the default communication protocol used for sending and receiving text messages over your mobile network. Developed in the 1980s, SMS is one of the oldest protocols for texting. The first text message was sent on December 3rd, 1992. Many mobile phones back then could not send texts on their own, so computers had to be used to type text messages. It wasn’t until 1993 that Nokia released the first mobile phone that was capable of user-sending SMS messages.

It took a while for many people to adapt to this technology, but gradually, it became more popular over time. In 1999, mobile phones finally could send and receive text messages across different networks, increasing the usefulness of SMS exponentially. Currently, SMS is the most frequently used communication protocol in the world, and it has become a crucial way to connect with friends, family, and businesses worldwide.

MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) is an extension of the SMS protocol. The MMS protocol was commercially introduced in 2002, and it was designed to be compatible with then-new 3G networks. MMS allows SMS users to send multimedia such as pictures, audio, emojis, and other attachments. The first phone to support MMS protocols was the Sony Ericsson T68i.

Just like SMS, MMS uses your mobile network to send or receive text messages. A notable difference between MMS vs. SMS is the character limit. While SMS messages have a limit of 160 characters, MMS messages have a 1600-character limit, which is a noticeable improvement. Because of these enhancements, many large mobile carriers adopted this technology.

RCS (Rich Communication Services) is a successor to SMS/MMS. RCS development started back in 2007 but didn’t gain much popularity until 2019 when Google announced that their Google Messages app will now support RCS. In 2024, RCS received a major boost in popularity. Samsung announced that it would drop its default messaging app in favor of the Google Messages app, and a few months later, Apple released iOS 18, which brought support to RCS Universal Profile. This update meant that Apple users going forward will now be able to text Android users more efficiently than ever before.

RCS offers many useful features, such as typing indicators, read receipts, and allows for sharing high-quality multimedia. The character limit was also given a major boost, and encryption is now supported on RCS messages. Instead of using your mobile network, RCS uses internet data to send and receive messages. Unlike OTT (Over-The-Top) apps like WhatsApp and Signal, RCS doesn’t require you to download any additional apps. For RCS to work properly, both users will need to have a phone and carrier that supports RCS, otherwise, the conversation will downgrade to SMS.

There are many differences between RCS and SMS/MMS. Let’s see how they compare.

RCS provides many benefits over SMS/MMS protocols. One major improvement that RCS delivers is a more interactive experience. RCS is compatible with many apps on your smartphone. This means you can effortlessly share various multimedia without worrying about compromises. Another benefit of RCS is the addition of verified senders. With the rise of text messaging spam increasing, it is more important now than ever before for businesses to safely connect with consumers.

With RCS, companies that send you a text message will now have a verified profile, which can minimize the risk of messages being labeled as spam and increase consumer trust and satisfaction. RCS messages can be sent via Wi-Fi, which means that if you travel to an area with a poor signal, you can connect with others using a Wi-Fi hotspot.

RCS isn’t just a minor improvement over SMS/MMS, it revolutionizes the way we communicate. With advanced features such as improved multimedia sharing, larger text limits, read receipts, and encryption, RCS is the future of smartphone messaging. RCS gives smartphone users an exciting way to text texting experience, and it has full coverage in many countries, without downloading any additional apps. While SMS/MMS will still be used as a fallback when there’s no Wi-Fi or mobile data, RCS has proven to be the best way to text on your smartphone.

Concerned About Your Privacy Online? Read The Article Does My Android Phone And Tablet Need A VPN? To Learn How To Keep Your Private Info Safe