Apple has finally enabled RCS messaging on iPhones, coming with iOS 18.

It is now possible to send free SMS to Apple mobiles

iPhone owners are in luck these days, as iOS 18 brings a host of new features to phones. And there’s one that’s welcome on Android: the iOS update finally introduces RCS messages , the free SMS that Google has been promoting for years. We’ll tell you how you can send them.

There are no major differences between an iPhone and an Android phone beyond their mobile operating system, as they are smartphones that behave in a similar way, offering identical key apps and not only establishing communication links between people, but also allowing the reproduction of all kinds of content. However, both had one almost insurmountable difference: their own messaging system . Almost.

You can now send free RCS messages from your Android to an iPhone

Text messages have been the standard for written communication between mobile phones for almost 32 years , although they ended up evolving into instant messaging platforms. In fact, both Apple and Google opted to unite SMS and private chats under a single umbrella: Messages in the Apple ecosystem and RCS messages on Android. The first is closed, the second is open to operators and manufacturers.

No RCS messages with root: Google blocks them to avoid spam

After confirming that iPhones would eventually embrace RCS messaging to easily communicate with Androids, it was not until the official arrival of iOS 18 that the bridge was finally established. In fact, if you try to send an SMS to a contact with an iPhone you will probably see that the RCS protocol is automatically activated.

After the automatic activation that comes with iOS 18, updated iPhones can automatically receive RCS messages . On Android, it is usually included by default, although sometimes the process has to be done manually: just open the “Messages” application, go to the avatar bubble at the top, click on “Settings” and enter “RCS Chat”. If they are not active, you just have to request them .

Make sure your Android has RCS messages enabled by going to the “RCS Chat” option in the Messages app settings.

And how do you know if you are sending a free message to an iPhone? Just follow these steps:

• Open your Messages app on Android.

• Click on the “Start chat” button below.

• Find the contact you want to chat with who has an iPhone.

• When the conversation window opens, you will see an “ RCS Message ” in the text field. This means that the contact has updated to iOS 18 and you can exchange messages for free.

• If you open the conversation with the contact and see a “ Text Message ” appear, it means that they have not updated their iPhone to iOS 18. Your carrier will charge you for the SMS according to your rate (they may even give you the SMS for free).

With RCS messaging you can exchange messages, but also photos, stickers, other files, location or contact information. All at no cost and without having to take any extra steps . However, the bubbles do not change color: the iPhone will continue to display them in green and differentiate them from messages on an iPhone, which continue to be blue.