RCS iOS 18 Vodafone

unnamed

Hi,

RCS support iOS 18 Vodafone

I’m guessing it’s a low priority for Vodafone as everyone uses WhatsApp and Vodafone Europe disconnected RCS support a couple of years ago.

But does anyone know if they’ll push out an update to support googles RCS system?

PixelCrafter

I tried 3, Eir and Vodafone SIMs in my iPhone running iOS 18 and none of them seem to support RCS.

Do any of the Irish networks really support it, or is it just running on Google infrastructure? Seems like it may just never have been enabled on any of them.

For whatever reason, they're always crap at value-added service type stuff:

eSIMs quite late, clunky implementation and Eir hasn't bothered.

Visual voicemail - none of them ever bothered.

DopeTech

rcs has been supported for years but apple have done everything to avoid implementing it properly.

I agree about eSIM though, seems even the ones that did implement it have made it a pain in the ass for some customers to use.

unnamed

whats annoying is that it won't cost them anything (apart from testing), just a carrier update to say use google for RCS.

PixelCrafter

It comes across as they're just not bothered, as per usual, with almost every feature.

Seems Irish networks are quite happy to be 'dumb pipes'

DopeTech

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122634723#Comment_122634723

nothing to do with the networks. Just apple trying to protect iMessage.

PixelCrafter

Vodafone closed their RCS service in 2023 in favour of Google’s Jabber implementation.

https://www.samsung.com/ie/support/mobile-devices/what-does-vodafones-rcs-termination-mean-for-my-galaxy-device/

RCS got half hearted support by the networks and it was effectively rescued by Google, but it often does not run on operator infrastructure.

unnamed

Yes, but the way Apple have implemented it requires the carriers to push the RCS settings to the phone. I think they could push the google settings and it should work.

PixelCrafter

I'd say though it'll come down to the service not actually being a Vodafone, Eir, 3 etc service.

Currently only the Google Messages App and Samsung Messages support those servers. I haven't seen any 3rd party Android messaging app that seems to be able to connect to them.

It's very much on the Irish network operators. They don't support very much at all. They've effectively become nothing more than mobile ISPs.

In general, RCS messaging support has been very patchy, with some networks just completely ignoring it.

That would give you an idea of the Google implementation of RCS:

https://www.openmindnetworks.com/blog/google-rcs-messaging-explained/

The network operators here seem to be really uninterested in actually running and supporting services on their IMS platforms.

Effectively they've abandoned the market to Meta and WhatsApp.

RCS is the GSMA (GSM Association) proposed replacement for MMS, but in markets like Ireland, MMS was totally wiped out by WhatsApp and it's a case of them just not really being bothered as they make no money of out messaging and seem to see no future in their being providers of services like that.

Google effectively rescued RCS from the disinterested mobile networks and their chaotic and patchy implementation of it. It's being seen as something that should ultimately become a serious alternative to closed networks, but that being said, Google themselves have a tendency to let great ideas die on the vine too.

Apple would probably need to build their own RCS infrastructure, but that would compete with iMessage, so why would they bother?

A lot of markets, particularly the US, has far deeper rollout of RCS messaging on the networks themselves, as they always saw IM as a major part of their offering and had quite widespread support for MMS, which is still extensively used in the US.

Irish networks seem to be just of the view that network hosted IM is obsolete tech and as nobody's compelling them to provide RCS, they're not doing so properly and you'll even see some of them like Virgin etc don't offer MMS at all anymore either.

Unless Apple decides to plug into Google's RCS platform, it's likely that you may simply never see iOS RCS here.

BulliteShot

Ireland does have some weird love for Apple. I have a feeling that one provider will enable it, probably Eir/Gomo given that they are the only network with support for WiFi calling with SMS over WiFi too. Vodafone's WiFi calling is an absolute meme that hardly ever works, but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

Glaceon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122636897#Comment_122636897

Sky also don't have MMS.

PixelCrafter

I think tbh, the days of mobile networks providing value-added services are probably over. Ireland's a bit ahead of the game on this in the sense that the mobile networks have quite rapidly morphed into essentially being a dumb data pipe - you're getting a decent data allowance at a low price on most of them, and they just throw in a ton of unmetered or nearly unmetered voice calls and that's it.

They're not going to pay to maintain complicated services like MMS and RCS if they're just overheads and most people are using WhatsApp and other IM services as their primary means of messaging anyway.

It's the same with stuff like visual voicemail. You might as well be offering mobile fax - customers don't care and hardly anyone seems to use voicemail in this market anymore.

PH0NER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122811914#Comment_122811914

Three and Sky Mobile both support SMS via WiFi Calling now.