On paper it sounds so simple and good. Apple launches encrypted messages via RCS between iPhone and Android. As a customer, it just has to work. The only thing you as an iPhone user need to do is go to Settings in the iPhone and enable RCS. Then you get high-resolution images, group messages, a number of different improvements compared to sending regular sms or mms to an Android user.
The problem is that it doesn’t work at all in the Nordics. I look through Apple’s list of which operators support RCS in the iPhone. Apple is clear that it is the operator who must activate this and that it is not at all Apple’s responsibility. In the list that Apple has on its site, where 161 European operators are listed, it appears that only 24 of them offer support for RCS. It looks best in Spain with seven operators that have support. The reason for the wide support there seems to be that Spain does not have laws to introduce the technology itself, but does have laws to counter spam messages and that in turn may have motivated the operators.
Google has long advocated RCS and pushed Apple to hang on. It succeeded with Apple in IOS 18 in the fall of 2024. Even then I spoke with Tele2 in Sweden who confirmed that they had an ongoing project with Apple around RCS. Since then, it has been largely silent and no Nordic operator has launched RCS for the iPhone. I can’t understand why. Now with the encryption, another benefit is added for the users, and the operators actually have free text messages in all their subscriptions today, so it’s not like they have any important revenue from text messages that they can have an incentive to protect.
On paper it sounds so simple and good. Apple launches encrypted messages via RCS between iPhone and Android. As a customer, it just has to work. The only thing you as an iPhone user need to do is go to Settings in the iPhone and enable RCS. Then you get high-resolution images, group messages, a number of different improvements compared to sending regular sms or mms to an Android user.
The problem is that it doesn’t work at all in the Nordics. I look through Apple’s list of which operators support RCS in the iPhone. Apple is clear that it is the operator who must activate this and that it is not at all Apple’s responsibility. In the list that Apple has on its site, where 161 European operators are listed, it appears that only 24 of them offer support for RCS. It looks best in Spain with seven operators that have support. The reason for the wide support there seems to be that Spain does not have laws to introduce the technology itself, but does have laws to counter spam messages and that in turn may have motivated the operators.
Google has long advocated RCS and pushed Apple to hang on. It succeeded with Apple in IOS 18 in the fall of 2024. Even then I spoke with Tele2 in Sweden who confirmed that they had an ongoing project with Apple around RCS. Since then, it has been largely silent and no Nordic operator has launched RCS for the iPhone. I can’t understand why. Now with the encryption, another benefit is added for the users, and the operators actually have free text messages in all their subscriptions today, so it’s not like they have any important revenue from text messages that they can have an incentive to protect.
We can state that the introduction of RCS means a proper work effort on the part of the operator, but that should not stop them. On the contrary, most operators have signaled that they want to jump on the train, but that they do not yet have a timetable. They already support RCS for Android today, but Apple has special requirements that require special support and Apple’s own certification. Many operators in France, Spain and Germany have delivered it.
Still no Swedish operator, now almost two years after support was launched for IOS.
Mobil has contacted Telia, Tele2, Telenor and Tre for a comment.