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Really Confusing Settings: iOS 18 beta 2 introduces a (broken) RCS toggle
- iOS 18 beta 2 is now available to those enrolled in Apple’s developer program, and it surfaces an RCS toggle for some users.
- While eligible users can freely toggle the new RCS option in the Settings app, the RCS functionality itself doesn’t seem to work reliably, if at all.
- Apple may have to work with individual carriers to enable RCS, which could limit the feature’s availability.
Yesterday, Apple released iOS 18 beta 2 to users enrolled in its developer program. Beyond supporting macOS Sequoia’s iPhone Mirroring feature, this pre-release build introduces an RCS toggle in the Settings app. There’s a catch, however; not every beta user sees the new RCS toggle, and not all who have it can use the RCS feature itself.
According to 9to5Mac, iOS 18 beta 2’s code suggests that Apple is working with carriers individually to update their bundles that ship with iOS. So, until your carrier adopts RCS support, you likely won’t be able to use the feature.
The report states that AT&T and T-Mobile have already updated their bundles to support RCS in the US. However, not all beta testers using these carriers have been able to get the functionality to work. So, even if you see the RCS toggle on your end, there’s no guarantee that the service will work reliably, if at all.
Given that iOS 18 is currently in beta and won’t widely roll out before the fall, it could take carriers weeks (or even months) to support RCS. This also means that certain iPhone users may miss out on RCS altogether if their carriers decide not to implement it. Until then, you will have to tolerate SMS and its restrictions or download an instant messaging app.