RCS Now Supports Dual SIM: Have you Tried it Yet?

What if you could manage all your messages, from both your personal and work numbers, in one place, with all the bells and whistles of modern messaging? Now you can! Rich Communication Services (RCS) has introduced dual SIM support.

This means you can now enjoy features like read receipts, typing indicators, high-quality media sharing, and the best of RCS Business Messaging (RBM) on both your phone numbers in the same device, all within your native messaging app.

What does this mean and how you can activate this new update? Read to find out.

What is RCS?

RCS is SMS evolved. It’s the next-generation messaging standard designed to upgrade SMS with a richer, more interactive experience. RCS brings features we’ve come to expect from modern messaging apps directly into your default messaging app. Forget those character limits and basic text messages!  With RCS, you can:

• Send and receive high-quality photos and videos: Share memories in their full glory, without compression or pixelation.

• Engage in group chats with enhanced features: Enjoy richer group conversations with read receipts, typing indicators, and the ability to share files and media easily.

• See read receipts and typing indicators: Know when your message has been delivered and read and see when someone is typing a response. This adds a level of immediacy and clarity to communication.

• Share your location: Easily share your current location with contacts, making it simple to coordinate meetups or let people know where you are.

• Experience RCS Business Messaging: This is where RCS gets interesting for businesses. RBM allows brands/businesses to send interactive messages with buttons, carousels, and embedded media, creating engaging customer experiences for everything from order confirmations to appointment reminders and even customer support.

But is RCS on Apple? Yes,with the roll out of iOS 18, Apple now supports RCS in multiple countries and will gradually support RCS globally.

Dual SIM RCS Arrives: A Long-Awaited Update

For nearly a year, the rollout of dual SIM support for RCS in Google Messages has been a journey of starts and stops. Initial glimpses of the functionality appeared as early as January 2024, sparking excitement among users eager to leverage RCS on both their numbers. However, the feature proved elusive, appearing sporadically for some while vanishing for others, creating a sense of anticipation and frustration.

Even recent limited rollouts in regions like the US hinted at the feature’s potential, but a full, stable release remained pending. Now, after extensive testing and refinement, Google appears to be finally and widely rolling out dual SIM RCS support within its messaging app.

This update is a game-changer for users with dual SIM Android phones. Previously, RCS functionality was limited to a single registered number, forcing users to revert to traditional SMS for their secondary line. With dual SIM RCS, you can now enjoy the superior texting experience on both numbers linked to your device. This eliminates the need to switch between messaging modes and brings a unified, enhanced communication experience to both numbers.

How To Check if Your Phone Supports Dual-sim RCS?

To activate dual SIM RCS on your Android phone, ensure you have the latest version of Google Messages installed from the Play Store.

Then, navigate to the app’s settings, find the “RCS chats” section, and you should see the option to enable RCS for both of your numbers.

The arrival of dual SIM support for RCS addresses a long-standing limitation and significantly enhances the user experience, bringing RCS in line with other leading messaging apps. It also shows that Google is constantly striving to improve RCS in terms of convenience, security and delivering a seamless experience across ecosystems.

RCS – With over a billion active users monthly across the globe – is now firmly established and only expanding further to become a truly universal channel. Do not get left behind! If you are an aggregator, ISV, or a developer looking to explore RCS business messaging, then reach out to our experts and know how you can jumpstart your RCS journey today.