American telecommunications giant Verizon has finally started rolling out Rich Communications Services (RCS) support for Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, provided the users are on Verizon postpaid.
RCS messaging is being considered is the next big leap in the world of communication. Unlike traditional SMS, it doesn’t have an aura of nostalgia associated with it, but it certainly has the potential of enriching our digital life. Like Apple’s iMessage, users will be able to share high-resolution photos, participate in group chats, and even get read receipts, providing an overall fulfilling experience.
Looking at RCS messaging’s features, it’s not difficult to see why users are so eager to get on it. However, the rollout, thus far, has been erratic and excruciatingly slow. Verizon, who brought RCS to Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL last year, has finally got things rolling for Samsung’s Galaxy S9 devices, but not without a hiccup.
Android Police has claimed that Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ use Verizon’s own servers for RCS, which is in stark contrast to Pixel 3 devices, which use Google’s Jibe servers. Verizon’s decision has presented a problem, as, until resolved, its S9 users will not be able to send RCS messages to Pixel 3 users, despite being on the same network. And quite naturally, that also rules out inter-carrier RCS messaging.
To turn RCS messaging on, users simply need to go to the “Chat Settings” section of their messaging application and toggle it on.
As per a claim, both Google and Verizon have started looking into the matter, and a cross-server solution is expected to be available in the near future.
