Does anyone know if our telcos will ever support RCS on iOS?

Forums › New Zealand Mobile and Wireless › Does anyone know if our telcos will ever support RCS on iOS?

gzjdoe

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#324929 14-Jun-2026 20:01

With the relatively recent news of Apple supporting end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging I started wondering when our carriers will finally support RCS messaging.

Does anyone have any (insider or not) information about their plans? If the major carriers ever support it, would the MVNOs get it automatically (asking as a Kogan user)?

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Max
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#3502947 14-Jun-2026 20:08

I wish but it won't see the appeal(from the RSP side). Much like how RCS is not supported BY the big three anyway as it's done via Third Party.

What can it do that other third party applications that already have a huge user base (or families, friends in iOS groups, vice versa for Android) other than bridge the gap between iOS and Android together?

As someone who went back to an iPhone last month and my family being mostly Androids... it kind of sucks but it is what it is. I'm not gonna get my in laws to move to something else when they're already used to it.

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Linux

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#3502979 14-Jun-2026 20:36

3 main providers are going to support it (It is coming)

MaxineN

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#3502994 14-Jun-2026 21:37

Linux:

3 main providers are going to support it (It is coming)

I’m delighted.

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gzjdoe

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#3502995 14-Jun-2026 21:39

Linux:

3 main providers are going to support it (It is coming)

Great news. I only wish they would announce when it is coming, even if it's just a ball park (e.g. mid-2027).

Linux

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#3502996 14-Jun-2026 21:40

This will be covered by an NDA

MaxineN

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#3502997 14-Jun-2026 21:41

gzjdoe:

Linux:

3 main providers are going to support it (It is coming)

Great news. I only wish they would announce when it is coming, even if it's just a ball park (e.g. mid-2027).

Like watches and eSIM. There will be no date set in stone.

It will be ready, when they’re ready.

I’m happy to be proven wrong twice if there is going to be a date.

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Jvipers2

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#3504083 18-Jun-2026 18:30

It's a loss of revenue, surely it'll gonna take "time" implementing it

boosacnoodle

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#3504093 18-Jun-2026 19:16

I thought there was an issue with TICSA which meant they couldn't implement it? Watch and see if it comes with encryption - or not.

Dochart

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#3504094 18-Jun-2026 19:17

Linux:

3 main providers are going to support it (It is coming)

Do we know whether it will be free to use or would it use up our SMS from mobile plan?

MaxineN

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#3504095 18-Jun-2026 19:19

Dochart:

Linux:

3 main providers are going to support it (It is coming)

Do we know whether it will be free to use or would it use up our SMS from mobile plan?

Would be data considering it's IP based.

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Dochart

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#3504097 18-Jun-2026 19:27

Would data considering it's IP based.

Of course it would use mobile data/wifi but the telcos may make RCS come out of SMS rates/mobile plans with SMS which I hope they don’t do and make it only come out from mobile data/wifi only.

A thread from 2 years ago about the possibility of making it a paid feature was mentioned.

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=76&topicid=315670&page_no=6

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MaxineN

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#3504098 18-Jun-2026 19:29

Dochart:

Would data considering it's IP based.

Of course it would use mobile data/wifi but the telcos may make RCS come out of SMS rates/mobile plans with SMS which I hope they don’t do and make it only come out from mobile data/wifi only.

A thread from 2 years ago about the possibility of making it a paid feature was mentioned.

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=76&topicid=315670&page_no=6

I think it would be stupid to charge for it.

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Dochart

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#3504099 18-Jun-2026 19:29

boosacnoodle:

I thought there was an issue with TICSA which meant they couldn't implement it? Watch and see if it comes with encryption - or not.

I also posted the link about it from 2 years ago.

yitz

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#3504210 18-Jun-2026 21:34

Dochart:

Of course it would use mobile data/wifi but the telcos may make RCS come out of SMS rates/mobile plans with SMS which I hope they don’t do and make it only come out from mobile data/wifi only.

Sounds like a return of PXT lol

Although I notice many prepay plans e.g. One NZ Prepay Plus (reminds me of the old 2degrees prepay plan of the same name) now include bundled services like unlimited MMS and no casual rates.

31. If your Prepay Rollover Plan is paused you will not be able to make calls

Hope you can still make emergency calls lol (no exception noted in T's & C's)

I think we are on a path going back to the future with more zero rated data services e.g. to QR code payment providers

alasta

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#3504343 19-Jun-2026 08:48

With RCS being IP based, would it be safe to assume that the infrastructure to support it would be cheaper than supporting SMS? If so, could this be the beginning of the process to finally kill off SMS?

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