RCS is the successor to SMS. What changes?

This week, some of your customers are seeing a small padlock appear in their chats between an Android device and an iPhone. Not in WhatsApp. Not in iMessage. In ordinary text messages. That is RCS, and it became serious enough that Apple added end-to-end encryption to it.

Here is what it is and what it means for your business.

What is RCS?

RCS stands for Rich Communication Services. It is the successor to SMS. It works on the same phone number, in the same messaging app where you receive an SMS today. No separate installation. No account. No password. You either have it or you don’t, depending on your device and your mobile operator.

What it adds compared to SMS: high-quality images, videos that work, read receipts, “is typing” indicators, buttons you can tap, cards with appointments in them, a verified sender with a logo. No 160-character limit. No unreadable emojis. No weird long links.

What happened this week?

Apple released iOS 26.5 on 11 May. With it, end-to-end encryption comes to RCS conversations between iPhone and Android. Messages are no longer read in transit by third parties, not even by the operator. In the chat you see a padlock. It is on by default and rolls out gradually as operators implement the update.

Apple worked with Google and the GSMA on this, the standards body behind mobile telephony. It is an industry step, not an Apple feature.

What can my business do with it?

In time, plenty. A business message sent via RCS looks different from an SMS. Instead of an unknown number, your company name appears, with your logo and brand colour. Customers see straight away that it really is from you. No doubt about whether it’s genuine.

Within it, you can do things that are impossible with SMS. A reminder with a “confirm” or “reschedule” button. An order update with a card showing where the delivery driver is. An appointment proposal with three time slots the customer can tap. All in the standard messaging app on the customer’s phone. No app to install. No link to click that takes you elsewhere.

For you as a business, it is the same advantage as WhatsApp: a richer channel than SMS, on the device the customer is already looking at. The difference is reach. WhatsApp works for those who use WhatsApp. RCS works on the device itself, for those who don’t have an extra app.

What changes for me today?

In practice, little. Apple’s update is for consumers. Between friends, not between you and your customer. For business use, the Netherlands is not ready yet. KPN is leading the way. Odido and T-Mobile are still getting there. Until that coverage is complete, a business RCS message falls back to a regular SMS for customers who can’t yet receive it.

So no, you don’t need to do anything now. Prepare, yes. Sooner than many people think.

What happens to WhatsApp?

Nothing. WhatsApp stays WhatsApp. It is a different world: an app people open deliberately, with groups, status, payments and everything that goes with it. RCS is not an app. It is SMS made smarter. It sits in the same messaging app on the phone where you already check whether the plumber has replied.

For businesses that means: WhatsApp remains the channel for ongoing dialogue, conversations that go back and forth, a real chat. RCS becomes the channel for business notifications that look good and arrive properly. Appointment reminders. Order confirmations. Status updates. Both have their place. It is not either-or.

Are we all switching to it?

Not within a year. The infrastructure is there, so is the standard (Universal Profile 3.0). The Dutch rollout takes time. First, all operators have to open up their platforms. Then a brand verification process has to run for every brand that wants to send. That takes weeks per brand. And customers need compatible devices.

An honest forecast: in 2026, RCS becomes interesting for early movers in sectors where appointments matter: healthcare, local government, mobility. In 2027, it becomes normal in business communication. Those who prepare now will be at the front.

And RippleCom?

RippleCom supports RCS. The channel sits in the same team inbox as calling, WhatsApp and SMS, on the same business phone number. No new tool. No migration. No extra login for your team. When the Netherlands is ready, you are too.

For now, you do nothing.

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