Google Says RCS Messaging Hits 1 Billion Daily Messages in the U.S., Right After Apple's Adoption

On May 13, 2025, Google announced that users in the U.S. now send over 1 billion Rich Communication Services (RCS) messages daily. This surge follows Apple’s adoption of RCS with iOS 18 in late 2024, enabling seamless messaging between iPhones and Android devices. RCS offers features like high-resolution media sharing, typing indicators, read receipts, and improved group chats, enhancing the messaging experience beyond traditional SMS and MMS.

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Previously, in November 2023, Google reported that its Messages app had surpassed 1 billion monthly active RCS users. The recent daily messaging milestone underscores the growing adoption of RCS, particularly after Apple’s integration. Despite this growth, RCS usage still trails behind the estimated 6 billion SMS/MMS messages sent daily in the U.S.

To celebrate the milestone, Google introduced new features to the Messages app, including animated emojis, reaction effects, and voice moods, aiming to enrich user interactions.

In other recent headlines, Google also revealed what the new Android 16 and WearOS design would look like. We have covered the Material 3 Expressive redesign in detail here.

Google also recently celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day by rolling out features keeping people with disabilities in mind. You can read more about it here.