Mint Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator owned by T-Mobile, is encouraging its iPhone users to update their devices to iOS 18.4 or later to access Rich Communication Services (RCS). RCS provides enhanced messaging features, similar to those available to Apple users on the Messages app, for Android users. These features include longer message capacity, high-resolution images and videos, typing indicators, read receipts, and the capacity to share larger files over Wi-Fi and data connections. Before the release of iOS 18.4 in late March, RCS was limited to iPhone users connected to major U.S. carriers, leaving many users unable to utilize these messaging enhancements.
Initially, Apple was resistant to supporting RCS when communicating with Android devices. Despite Google’s ongoing efforts to promote RCS integration, it took regulatory pressure, such as the EU’s Digital Markets Act, to prompt Apple to reconsider its position. With the launch of iOS 18.4, several T-Mobile MVNOs, including Mint Mobile, have started to offer RCS compatibility to their iPhone users. Mint Mobile has proactively reached out to subscribers, advising them to ensure their iPhones are updated to at least iOS 18.4 to enjoy RCS messaging with Android counterparts.
The company has also created an informative website detailing RCS and providing guidance on how subscribers can enable the feature. While RCS offers in-transit encryption for messages, the end-to-end encryption for cross-platform messaging is still unavailable. This encryption ensures that messages are secure while being transmitted, protecting them from potential interception. The importance of messaging platforms like iMessage within Apple’s ecosystem was underscored during the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit, highlighting how crucial these services are in encouraging customer loyalty to Apple products.