Android’s RCS 4.0 Wants to Make Texting More Like iMessage, Now With Video Calls Built In

Texting on Android is about to get a long-overdue upgrade: the latest RCS standard now supports launching a video call straight from a message thread, no copying links, no bouncing between apps.

The update, known as RCS 4.0, was finalized by the GSMA, the global telecom industry group that sets many of the rules carriers follow. The goal is simple: drag the old SMS experience into the modern era with read receipts, better media sharing, group chats, and now, integrated video calling. But as with past RCS upgrades, what you actually get will depend on your phone, your carrier, and how your messaging app is set up.

RCS 4.0 adds “tap-to-video” calling inside message threads

The headline feature in RCS 4.0 is continuity: you’re texting, you hit the video icon, and the conversation turns into a video call. It’s the kind of seamless handoff Americans already expect from Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, or from apps like WhatsApp.

The GSMA is positioning this as a key step toward making “native” carrier-backed messaging feel less fragmented. In theory, RCS is supposed to be the universal replacement for SMS and MMS, built into the default messaging app so people don’t have to download yet another platform just to communicate.

Group chats are part of the pitch, too. The standard is designed so multiple people can join a video call even after it starts, useful for everything from a quick family check-in to an impromptu work huddle.

RCS 4.0 also expands richer text formatting (like bold and italics) and aims to improve how phones negotiate media quality so photos and videos don’t get crushed by aggressive compression. The promise: fewer “why does this look terrible on your phone?” moments.

Still, a finalized standard doesn’t mean instant availability. Carriers and app makers have to implement it, push updates, and support it across devices. That rollout can be uneven, one of the reasons RCS has taken years to feel mainstream.

On Android, Google Messages is the main stage, and video may route through your carrier or Google Meet

In the real world, most Americans will encounter RCS through Google Messages, Google’s default texting app on many Android phones. Apple has also begun supporting RCS in the iPhone’s Messages app, a major shift after years of relying on SMS for Android-to-iPhone texts.

But in Google Messages, the new video-call experience isn’t a single universal switch. Google says video calling can run either through a carrier-provided service (often tied to VoLTE/ViLTE-style infrastructure) or through Google Meet.

That matters because the video icon may not appear unless something is configured. If neither your carrier’s video calling option nor Google Meet is set up, you might not see the button at all. Google’s workaround is straightforward, enable Meet from within Messages, then finish setup in the Meet app, but it’s still an extra step that can trip up less tech-savvy users.

The result is progress with a catch: the experience can feel smooth when everything is aligned, and confusing when it isn’t. That’s a different vibe than iMessage-to-iMessage FaceTime, where Apple controls the whole stack.

RCS is trying to replace SMS and MMS, without breaking compatibility

RCS is widely described as the successor to SMS and MMS. Instead of 160-character limits and blurry MMS videos, RCS supports longer messages, higher-quality photos and video, GIFs, and more functional group chats. It also brings modern indicators like “delivered,” “read,” and sometimes typing status.

The biggest day-to-day improvement for many users is media. RCS is designed to reduce the quality drop that happens when you send a decent photo or video through older carrier messaging systems.

But RCS still carries a built-in compromise: when the other person, or their device, carrier, or settings, doesn’t support RCS, the conversation can fall back to SMS. That keeps messages flowing, but it can also create whiplash: one day you have read receipts and crisp photos, the next day you’re back to basic texting.

Audio messages and reliability get upgrades, too

Beyond video, the GSMA is also touting improvements to audio messaging quality. The idea is cleaner, more natural playback and fewer artifacts from heavy compression, especially noticeable when people send voice notes instead of typing.

The standard also targets reliability, including better mechanisms for connecting to carrier services using push notifications. That’s the kind of behind-the-scenes change users only notice when it fails, like when an important message gets stuck or arrives late.

Richer business messaging could also make scams look more convincing

RCS isn’t just about friends and family. Brands like it because it supports interactive “rich” messages, think cards, buttons, carousels, images, and embedded actions like “track my order” or “contact support.” Done right, it can feel more like a lightweight app experience than a plain text.

But there’s an obvious downside: the more polished the message format, the easier it is for scammers to mimic something that looks official. Americans are already flooded with fake delivery alerts and bogus bank texts. A more premium-looking message can make a con more persuasive.

RCS can modernize texting, but it won’t replace basic skepticism. If a message pushes you to click, pay, or hand over personal information, the safest move is still to verify through official channels, not the link in the text.