RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is the latest supposed savior or the disjointed and frustrating world of cross-device messaging. RCS is being pushed heavily by Google, but adopted sparingly by carriers around the world. But like all things, it helps when you have a basic understanding of what people are talking about. There's plenty of information about RCS out there on the internet, but let's try to sort it all out in one place and talk about what RCS is and why it matters to everyone.

What is RCS?

In a nutshell, RCS is a set of communication standards for SMS, MMS and calling that will make text messages look and feel more like dedicated messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts and so many others. Basically, it aims to bring "texting" up to the modern standards with features we expect from messaging apps. Verizon is offering the Pixel 4a for just $10/mo on new Unlimited lines In 2007 a group of telecommunication industry companies founded the Rich Communication Suite industry initiative to use new technologies to create inter-operator communication services based on IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem). Text messages and phone calls generally work well, but they're pretty bland and don't make use of the full capabilities of the network they're being sent on. They had three primary goals: Use a better contacts list that included things like more information about your people, if they were available and if they have seen the message you've sent.

Build a better messaging system that enables extras like instant chat, emojis and sharing data between the people participating.

Support enhanced calls with features like video calling and data sharing in real time. That sounds like things your phone already does (and does well) without any new communications standard, but the secret sauce here is that this is all part of your phone service and will work the same way on any phone that can call or send texts, without downloading and signing up for some separate app system. RCS makes texting better with rich messages, media, big groups and extra features. The GSM Association (the same folks who run Mobile World Congress every year) thought it was a great idea, too, and formed the RCS Steering committee a year later to push the idea of supporting this to phone carriers all over the world. They've since refined and expanded the standards and have been releasing them under the RCS blanket for a while. The technical parts of the standards have adapted and changed, but the core goals remain the same: making phone service have a better way to communicate without adding anything additional from any app stores or carrier download sections. Unfortunately, there has been a mixed response from carriers, phone makers and app developers. Google has been spearheading the RCS rollout by working with carriers and Android phone companies to support RCS officially and by default, but it's slow-going. Eventually Google decided to simply start rolling out RCS features in its own Messages app that anyone can enable — but whether it's going to actually work is a murky situation that ultimately depends on your (and the people you're talking to's) carrier supporting it. Is this a good thing?

Your chats get better and you didn't have to do anything. Sounds like a win to me. Google pushing RCS on its own is a good thing for the most part. This is different from other rich messaging platforms we've seen or used. You're not required to use a specific phone or specific brand, and you aren't limited to only chatting with people using the same phone carrier as you. You send messages the same way you always have, but some will support more features. When chatting with someone who is using a phone that doesn't support RCS or has opted out, everything is the same as it always was. No harm, no foul. There are a few things that you'll want to understand about how RCS works, though, and how it still differs from dedicated third-party chat apps: Encryption — RCS messages are not end-to-end encrypted. Messages are encrypted during transit from you to a service provider (whether it be Google or a carrier) and from the provider to the destination, but the provider does have access. Google says messages will be deleted once they are received, but attachments may be held until all recipients have downloaded them. End-to-end encryption is something that can be added to RCS, but until that happens, you need to know that the service provider will have access to your messages.

— RCS messages are not end-to-end encrypted. Messages are encrypted during transit from you to a service provider (whether it be Google or a carrier) and from the provider to the destination, but the provider does have access. Google says messages will be deleted once they are received, but attachments may be held until all recipients have downloaded them. End-to-end encryption is something that can be added to RCS, but until that happens, you need to know that the service provider will have access to your messages. No multiple devices — At least not the way a service like iMessage allows. RCS still depends on your phone number like regular texting, so you won't be able to get messages on a computer or tablet unless your phone is the actual device doing the sending and receiving, like Android Messages for the web.

— At least not the way a service like iMessage allows. RCS still depends on your phone number like regular texting, so you won't be able to get messages on a computer or tablet unless your phone is the actual device doing the sending and receiving, like Android Messages for the web. No centralized user database — Services like Facebook Messenger or iMessage have a database of who is using the service and how. Google Messages with RCS enabled sends a query to the recipient's default messaging app asking if it's RCS capable. If it is, it says yes to the query and both parties will be able to use the extras that RCS brings. If it doesn't answer, you fall back to the regular SMS experience.

— Services like Facebook Messenger or iMessage have a database of who is using the service and how. Google Messages with RCS enabled sends a query to the recipient's default messaging app asking if it's RCS capable. If it is, it says yes to the query and both parties will be able to use the extras that RCS brings. If it doesn't answer, you fall back to the regular SMS experience. It's not available everywhere — Google is pushing the RCS rollout with its own Messages app, but there are still incompatibilities with certain carriers and countries; and things get messy when you start talking about group messages with people across regions. Ultimately, RCS will be a good thing. It's the next evolution of SMS, and once rolled out properly it will elevate the base messaging standard for everyone on Android. It may not take a big chunk out of the market share of WhatsApp, WeChat or Facebook Messenger, but for anyone who doesn't use those apps or communicates with people over regular SMS today, the chat experience will be improved regardless. We just have to wait for that rollout to actually happen. Which carriers and apps use RCS?