RCS, which replaces SMS, is now compatible with the majority of telephones and other smartphones in circulation in France. The four operators offer this technology to their subscribers – whether they are on Android or a recent iPhone.
Do you prefer to use the default messaging app on your smartphone – rather than an alternative like WhatsApp? Texting remains very popular in France, but a real revolution is underway to dust off the SMS protocol – with a new, enhanced formula, more social with its share of smiley reactions, and generally more practical.
The famous replacement for SMS is called RCS. A protocol that provides the default messaging service of almost all recent smartphones connected to a compatible operator with capabilities close to those of other instant messaging services. All with broad compatibility, beyond the Android versus iPhone divide.
The revolution is underway in texting
Apple has indeed accepted to add RCS to all iPhones compatible with iOS 18. As a result, according to a study by A2fr, 38.1 million devices are compatible with the technology, or 60% of the current fleet. Even though the four operators (Free, Orange, SFR and Bouygues) have activated the technology on their network.
This will spell the end of traditional text messages, which you will see appearing less and less often in your notifications. The study also reveals that the technology is now progressing at a lightning speed. Since 85% of devices in circulation could benefit from RCS by the end of 2025.
In addition to the more interactive side of texting, RCS adds new ways to communicate with your loved ones or other professionals. Sending photos and videos is done in full quality and does not incur MMS charges. There are also new features like location sharing, or video calls, similar to what FaceTime has long allowed by default on iPhones.
Thanks to RCS, sharing your location with a friend you need to meet in town can be done directly via the default messaging app. You can see when your correspondent(s) are typing. It also becomes possible to create group conversations, for example with your family. And your communications are now end-to-end encrypted.
The A2fr study explores the impact of this technology on businesses and brands. With one observation: more and more advertising campaigns are exploiting the richness of RCS. The opening rate for this type of message is said to be 80% – even though receiving traditional SMS messages creates more distance.
We can undoubtedly hope that the progression of this technology will not be accompanied by an increase in spam received by mobile customers in France. Let's also hope that cybercriminals will not rely on RCS messages to carry out phishing attempts that are more difficult to detect...
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