The GSMA, which manages Rich Communication Services (RCS), has released a new update aimed at improving communication between Android and iPhone users.

According to a recent report by 9to5Google, the update, known as Universal Profile 2.7, supports a "more engaging messaging experience" and was finalized in June. The update includes the ability to reply and react to both sent and received messages, including custom reactions. The update will also allow message senders to edit, recall, and even delete previously sent messages for themselves and message recipients.

Currently, iOS Messages and Google Messages convert reactions during SMS conversations so that emojis appear on the screen. This new update means that apps will no longer need to translate each reaction, making the entire process smoother. iOS users will also support threaded RCS messages in conversations with Android users.

The ability to easily delete and edit messages has long been available in apps like Discord and WhatsApp, and its inclusion in RCS messaging is a huge bonus for users. It will also allow users to recall recently sent messages instead of deleting them. Finally, the new update extends spam reporting to person-to-person messaging, making it easier to report scammers.

RCS communication between iPhone and Android is a relatively recent development, and Apple only announced the iOS 18 feature during its WWDC presentation. For years, Apple had denied including RCS in their system and instead focused on pushing iMessage. Apple initially stated that this was due to security concerns, as RCS messaging does not require end-to-end encryption (even though SMS is the same)

Since RCS is still relatively new on the iPhone, there are bugs to be improved upon. There must be. This update proves that both companies are working with GSMA to improve the customer experience. since RCS communication was not the only thing announced for the iPhone, for more information, best for all the new features coming to the iPhone in our full WWDC iOS 18 breakdown.