Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a communication protocol standard for instant messaging, primarily for mobile phones, developed and defined by the GSM Association (GSMA). It is a replacement of SMS and MMS on cellular networks with more modern features including high resolution image and video support, typing indicators, file sharing, and improved group chat functionality. Development of RCS began in 2007 but early versions lacked features and interoperability; a new specification named Universal Profile was developed and has been continually rolled out since 2017.
RCS has been designed as an industry open standard to provide improved capabilities over basic text messaging, based on the Internet Protocol (IP). Its development has also been supported by mobile network operators to remain relevant in customer experience in response to over-the-top (OTT) chat apps and services. Additional features of RCS include presence information, location and multimedia sharing, video calling, and operation over mobile data or Wi-Fi, natively integrated in mobile phones without requiring the download of third-party apps.
