You effortlessly convinced your iPhone friends to adopt Rich Communication Services without ever uttering the acronym RCS.

As a lifelong aficionado, my enthusiasm has never wavered. For a significant portion of that fandom, I’ve been enthusiastically using and enjoying features within Google Messages for roughly the same amount of time since its availability. For years, I’ve listened as Google implored Apple to “get the message,” but until recently, I never had reason to believe it would actually happen. As iOS 18 is launched, seamless cross-platform communication between iOS and Android devices becomes universally accessible on all up-to-date iPhones. I’m convinced that persuading your tech-savvy friends to upgrade from iPhones will revolutionize the way we navigate life’s complexities.

Initially, I felt uncertain about tackling this task. Despite the initial skepticism, the introduction of Messages as a brand-new messaging protocol capable of enhancing communication between Android devices seems utterly disconnected from any romantic interest or appeal. Pursuing a pitch for inexperienced investors about iPhone-related opportunities seemed more focused on my needs than theirs. While using other channels to promote replacement was innovative, I found a way to get my friends to participate without relying solely on referrals from current customers. Right here’s how.

When asking someone with an iPhone what they love most about their device, a common response is likely to be the seamless integration of features like FaceTime, iMessage, or the intuitive nature of iOS itself. After acknowledging that the recent changes to FaceTime led to new problems with my home screen, I opted to focus on utilizing the updated features of iMessage instead. Despite the abundance of features and functionality offered by their iPhones, many Apple customers still cherish a simple yet meaningful gesture: receiving occasional messages from friends and family in their Blue Bubble network.

So I’ve found myself relying on a single messaging feature more than any other: emoji reactions, also known as Tapbacks by Apple. On iOS 13, messaging has been elevated with the ability to react to conversations using any of the thousands of emojis available in Apple’s extensive library, allowing users like myself to abandon the tired thumbs-up icon and opt instead for the salute emoji, which I find much more delightful. 🤩 Why not dust off those quirky stickers you’ve accumulated with friends over the years – a nostalgia-fueled exercise that’s only slightly cringe-worthy.

With unrestricted access to Tapbacks, I started leveraging this powerful tool, flaunting my newfound authority to dominate the conversation. 🤯 It wasn’t until later that I found out that if you’re not on iOS 14, any Tapbacks beyond the standard options (heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, etc.) appear in a separate message, as if you were responding to someone using an Android device. With iOS 18’s release, my friends suddenly found themselves aligned with Android users, no longer belittling them for their choices.

While up-to-date tapbacks may not be my go-to iMessage feature, they’re definitely a useful enhancement. Apple introduced various innovative text features with iOS 18, empowering users like me to dynamically resize, shake, and even animate message bubbles within conversations. The lack of significant influence notwithstanding, the enhanced Tapbacks did grant me a chance to highlight some of iOS 18’s more intriguing features, thereby encouraging my friends to upgrade while keeping their iPhone-exclusive habits firmly in mind. So far, there are no notable disadvantages to Record Control System (RCS).

Once I’d seized control through iMessage, I might leverage another advantage: iOS 18 enables seamless collaboration with friends to tackle analogous challenges faced by Android users. Although I refrained from employing RCS during that timeframe, I was able to observe that they would feature idiosyncrasies akin to typing indicators and read receipts, much like those familiar with iMessage. While I may prefer direct communication, utilizing a typing indicator when conversing via text with my father about soccer does facilitate smoother interactions, preventing us from interrupting each other’s thoughts.

I also informed them that upgrading to iOS 13 would enable seamless sharing of videos and clips with Android users. Since I’m accustomed to carrying a particular phone in my pocket, a constant companion of my profession, I have memories of my friends stored on more than a dozen devices. Regrettably, that’s usually where they’d reside – on the lone phone due to my inability to dispatch them without hesitation. I’d rather just share the photos directly with my friends through Instagram, as emailing them seems like an unnecessary step if they’ll only be appearing in a fleeting Instagram story.

With the release of iOS 18 and, to some extent, the support from RCS, this problem is no longer a concern. Since I first started sharing videos with my dad using iOS 18’s beta features, we’ve had the ability to effortlessly upload footage and home movies of our family dog without any hassle? Now I’m finally able to share some selfie shots taken with my Motorola Razr Plus in the summer of 2024, a bit belatedly.

RCS messaging appears to be significantly safer than SMS and MMS due to its built-in encryption capabilities. Despite iPhone-to-iPhone messaging being relatively secure, I’ll encourage friends to enhance iPhone-to-Android security and iPhone-to-iPhone security when offline with minimal effort required. Notwithstanding all circumstances, this feature allows for clarity on how brand-new messages are delivered – either via cellular data or Wi-Fi – effectively mirroring iMessage functionality from the outset.

At this stage, I’m essentially just hacking through the underbrush with my friends, and to some extent, that’s what I am doing. For those accustomed to iMessage, any reservations about switching to new messaging platforms may seem daunting when trying to connect with friends using iPhones. The lack of technical proficiency among friends isn’t due to their iPhones’ capabilities; rather, it’s because people generally don’t have an interest in understanding complex messaging protocols at such a granular level. People would learn a great deal more about what their phone is capable of and how they’ll utilize its features rather than understanding precisely how it’s functioning.

By notifying them that their existing or outdated iPhone now boasts innovative reactions, fresh textual content outcomes, as well as the option to further customize home screens and Control Center layouts, you’ll be more likely to persuade them to upgrade to iOS 18. Currently, it’s akin to hawking a fresh smartphone without mentioning AI at all – a glaring omission in today’s tech landscape. While positive developments are imminent, it’s essential to focus on tangible enhancements that are urgently needed today.

Let’s acknowledge that it’s not just iPhone users who require convincing about the benefits of RCS. My younger brother, for example, uses a Samsung Galaxy S24 but has yet to make the transition to RCS messaging. Although I’m fairly confident he’s still using Samsung Messages, it appears that RCS support is not enabled, unlike with Google Messages where it’s typically available. With a sigh, I’ve come to accept that the only way to nudge my stubborn sibling towards positive change is to take matters into my own hands – a move that, I’m afraid, is all too familiar with his inflexible nature.

Luckily, one major advantage of persuading my iPhone friends to adopt RCS is that it’s enabled by default. As part of the iPhone replacement process, someone at Apple wisely toggled the RCS setting to require opting out rather than in. As long as I can convincingly argue that the rest of iOS 18 is worth a try (which it is), I can simply reap the benefits of Rich Communication Services, even when I’m still stuck in an unappealing green bubble.