The second beta of iOS 18.4 is making waves by expanding RCS messaging support to additional carriers in the United States and other countries. According to reports from Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and other social media platforms, the update is bringing enhanced messaging capabilities to more iPhone users.
After installing iOS 18.4 beta 2, iPhone users on carriers like Mint Mobile, Google Fi, Ultra Mobile, Tello, and US Mobile can enable RCS messaging. This functionality appears to be rolling out across all T-Mobile Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). To activate RCS, users need to navigate to the Messages section in the Settings app. However, it’s important to note that RCS access currently requires the iOS 18.4 developer beta and isn’t yet available for the public beta version.
The rollout isn’t limited to the U.S. In France, carriers like Orange and Sosh now support RCS messaging with iOS 18.4 beta 2, as reported by iPhoneSoft. This suggests that RCS functionality may soon expand worldwide for other carriers as well.
RCS, which stands for Rich Communication Services, was initially enabled for major carriers with the launch of iOS 18. It’s a next-generation communication protocol that significantly enhances messaging between iPhone and Android users. With RCS, users can enjoy features like higher resolution photos and videos, larger file transfers, audio messaging, Wi-Fi messaging, real-time typing indicators, read receipts, and more.
This update underscores Apple’s continued efforts to improve cross-platform communication, making messaging more seamless and feature-rich for iPhone users around the globe. If you’re running iOS 18.4 beta 2 and use one of the supported carriers, now’s the time to unlock these enhanced messaging features.