RCS is here: Frequently asked questions about this new approach to multi-channel messaging

RCS is here: FAQs about this new approach to multi-channel messaging

Rich Communication Services (RCS) Business Messaging is poised to become the premium messaging channel globally with its branded senders and rich content features. Twilio recently hosted the webinar, RCS is Here: The strategic approach to Multi-channel Messaging with hosts Lindsey Weinig, Adam Nix, and James Lapic to cover all-things RCS. They described the current global landscape, how to think about RCS within your messaging strategy, and how to get started today. Here are some of the key highlights and takeaways from the webinar: 

• RCS Business Messaging is not consistent globally, especially in the US and other iOS-heavy markets. There’s multiple reasons for this, including limited Carrier support, gradual Apple iOS 18.1+ adoption, and quality inconsistency issues on iOS 18.1.

• Twilio understands that the ROI of your communications matters. That’s why we are working with Carriers, Google, Apple, and our customers globally to continue to improve the availability and consumer experience for the RCS Business Messaging channel, while keeping you informed on the status.

• We’re encouraging you, our customers, to learn more about RCS: onboard, begin testing, and consider the key use cases where RCS will enhance your customer experience.

RCS Business Messaging is complex and evolving, and our webinar attendees had additional questions. Here are those questions and our experts’ responses.

FAQs on Capabilities & Availability

What's Twilio's role? Couldn't the brand go directly to google/apple?

RCS is carrier-managed and carrier agreements need to be in place to be able to onboard a brand for use on that carrier. As well Twilio abstracts the complexity of RCS to SMS/MMS fallback when delivery over RCS is not possible.

Is RCS going to replace Apple Business Messaging on iOS?

No, they are complementary offerings. Today their availability differs: Apple Business Messaging is only available on iOS devices, and RCS Business Messaging is available on Android devices and some iOS devices.

Any chance RCS can be supported by 3rd party texting apps on android like Textra?

RCS is intended to work within OS-native messaging app as it is a carrier-grade messaging service.

Can we have multiple Chat Threads with the same recipient? Something like email threads or different chat groups with the same participants.

All messages between an RCS sender (brand) and the same end-user will remain in a single thread. A brand can define unique RCS senders per use case for example Brand-Marketing, Brand-Customer support in order to isolate use cases and create separate threads.

How will RCS help create a phishing resistant OTP solution?

Branded profiles verified by Google will provide for trusted sending and increased customer trust.

If an RCS A2P Sender doesn't have a phone number, can that sender still receive phone calls (i.e. get a webhook from Twilio for the phone call)?

Not supported by A2P RCS at this time.

Are you able to see video views as well rather than just delivery/read receipts?

Since Videos play upon opening the RCS message, read status would imply that a video is viewed. If more granular metrics are wanted, a business could link to a video on YouTube or other streaming platforms. 

What percentage of iOS users do you think are currently addressable? How long until that is expected to hit 90%?

iOS user reach for RCS Business Messaging depends on Carrier support as well as iOS user adoption, so it varies by region. In the US, we estimate it will hit 90% around late 2025/early 2026.

FAQs on Regulations and Compliance

Does RCS have the same rules for TCPA?

Yes, regulations that govern SMS or messaging in general apply to RCS Business Messaging. 

Does S.H.A.F.T. (forbidden message categories) apply to RCS?

Yes. Learn more here. 

Will there be blocked sender notifications?

1. If a user blocks the sender via the Google Messages “block and report” option neither Twilio nor the brand would have visibility into that.

2. If a user opts-out via a STOP request then the subsequent attempt will be blocked and reported in our logging.

Any compliance concerns with RCS in Canada? Any best practices that can be shared regarding character count, dos and don'ts via RCS business messaging in CA, etc?

No concerns at this time. More to come once we have Canadian partnerships in place.

Will RCS work with Vape and CBD companies?

There are strict AUP categories that RCS content needs to adhere to as defined by Google. https://developers.google.com/business-communications/support/aup

FAQs for RCS on Twilio Messaging

What sort of fallbacks are available and how do we detect if a user device supports RCS?

1. Currently we support SMS fallback. MMS fallback for media is being tested and will be added to our offering soon.

2. We do not publicly expose whether the end-user is RCS capable, it can be inferred when we fall back to SMS or MMS.

How customizable is the fallback logic? For example, I might want to exclude people with version 18 of iOS if it's buggy (even though they can technically receive RCS).

RCS Business Messaging capability check does not distinguish between device types but rather whether or not the device is RCS capable. It is not possible to restrict RCS messaging to Android only. We are working with Apple to improve the RCS Business Messaging experience for iOS users.

Is a short code required for SMS fallback? Or will any Twilio phone number work?

For SMS fallback, shortcode, alphanumeric, longcodes and toll-free numbers are supported. For MMS fallback, shortcodes and longcodes are supported. If you have included a short code and/or alphanumeric sender ID in the sender pool, Twilio will first select the short code, followed by the alphanumeric sender, followed by the long code.

Is RCS only available for Local #'s, or is it also supported on Toll Free Numbers (TFNs)?

RCS operates separately to our existing number types. That being said, RCS fallback works for local numbers, TFNs, and short-codes.

How does fallback to SMS work with rich content like quick replies?

Customers can create a custom text only template via our content template builder. We will select this text only template as the fallback content when we cannot deliver rich content over RCS.

What is the Product Roadmap for rolling out RCS Business Messaging, including Cards, Carousels, etc?

Cards are expected to be included in our Beta in December. Carousels are on the roadmap for Q1 2025. 

From a timeline perspective, what insights do you have about carrier adoption, and how does that impact Twilio's Product Roadmap?

RCS Business Messaging is not yet available among all countries or carriers, especially in the United States.

This is the current carrier timeline for the major US carriers:

1. Verizon is supporting RCS Business Messages in Q4 of 2024

2. T-Mobile will provide beta access to RCS in Q4 of 2024 and general availability in the first half of 2025

3. AT&T will enable RCS messaging in the first half of 2025

Twilio’s global coverage is growing as carriers onboard and can be found here. 

Will Twilio allow us to write our own custom rich content?

Yes! And you will be able to build rich content with Twilio’s Content Template Builder. 

As a developer based in Canada (and using a Canadian carrier for testing), can I still send/receive RCS for the purposes of testing RCS via Twilio right now?

Yes RCS testing is supported in Canada. You can create an RCS sender and add an Android test device to it (Canadian MSISDN).

How long does the approval take after launch?

Varies by region and carriers. Typically approval takes 1-3 weeks.

Do we know yet what the carrier pass-through fees are for RCS in the US?

Not yet. Carriers are still onboarding to RCS Business Messaging in the US and we are actively establishing partnerships with them.

Do you recommend adding RCS into production environments now? Or should we wait until mid 2025?

We recommend you start testing RCS now to determine whether it is a good fit for your use cases across regions.

Get started with RCS for your business

There’s no doubt that RCS Business Messaging will unlock improved strategies to engage customers, and that’s why it’s important to set yourself up for success with RCS implementation.

We hope you found our webinar, the RCS Webinar Recap Blog, and this FAQ resource helpful in understanding the state of RCS today, and where it’s headed in 2025. Learn more about using Twilio’s RCS business messaging to deliver branded text messages at scale.