How RCS Messaging Works: A Marketer’s Inside Guide

You’ve seen the headlines. You’ve heard the acronym. RCS is positioned to be the next evolution of branded SMS messaging, but for some businesses, it’s been a little more “mystery” than “marketing tool.”

What tools do you need? Who approves your messages? What’s going on behind the scenes?

Let’s pull back the curtain and make the reality of launching an RCS campaign a little less opaque.

Check out some real-world RCS marketing examples to see them in action and collect a few important best practices.

Why RCS deserves a spot in your messaging strategy

RCS is often described as “SMS, but modern.” While that's true, it’s also a significant understatement.

What sets RCS apart:

Branded Sender IDs: Unlike SMS, RCS messages display your brand’s name, logo, and color scheme—an instant boost to brand trust and visibility.
Rich, Interactive Content: Add images, carousels, quick replies, suggested actions, and even calendar integrations. It delivers app-like functionality, contained within a personal user conversation.
No App Download Needed (on Android): RCS is built into the native Messages app on Android devices, so users don’t need to install anything new to receive rich messages, just enable RCS chat features. Full iPhone support is coming later in 2025.

In short: RCS brings the kind of polish and engagement you expect from push or in-app messaging into a channel with SMS-like reach.

Get the full rundown on RCS vs. SMS in our recent guide.

From SMS to RCS: How we got here

The shift from SMS to RCS has been slow, largely because SMS is deeply embedded in carrier infrastructure and devices. But as consumer expectations for mobile interactions have grown, so has the pressure to evolve.

1990s–2000s: SMS becomes the default for mobile text communication. It’s reliable but limited to 160 characters and plain text.
2010s: OTT apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and iMessage raise the bar with read receipts, media sharing, and real-time chat features.
Late 2010s: Google champions RCS as a native evolution of SMS, partnering with Android device manufacturers and mobile carriers to roll it out worldwide.
2024: Apple announced support for RCS and North American carriers develop infrastructure support for delivering RCS.
2025: Carriers are accepting RCS applications in small volumes and message aggregators are manually processing RCS applications.
Upcoming in July 2025: Message aggregators will automate RCS sender application processes

The RCS messaging ecosystem: Who’s involved?

Sending an RCS message isn’t quite as simple as pushing out an SMS. It’s a bit more layered, but understanding the key players makes it much more manageable.

1. Mobile carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.)

Carriers own the actual delivery infrastructure and control which messages make it to their customers. They work with aggregators to provision brands and vet campaign content.

Because RCS is carrier-based, each carrier may have slightly different requirements and review processes, though the industry is gradually standardizing.

2. Message aggregators (like Twilio, Sinch, or Infobip)

Aggregators serve as the bridge between your engagement platform and mobile carriers. They handle compliance, provisioning, throughput management, and delivery.

Most RCS campaigns go through one of these aggregators. They’re also responsible for registering your brand, managing the approval process, and providing fallback to SMS if RCS isn’t supported on a device.

3. Engagement platforms (like OneSignal)

Think of your engagement platform as the marketer-friendly command center that connects you to the more technical backend layers of RCS delivery.

Platforms like OneSignal let you design, personalize, automate, and send RCS messages—often alongside push, email, SMS, and Live Activities.

What happens when you send an RCS campaign

Here’s a simplified flow of how an RCS message gets delivered:

You design and schedule the campaign in your engagement platform (e.g., OneSignal).
The platform sends it to your chosen aggregator, along with the campaign content and user targeting.
The aggregator checks provisioning, determines if the recipient supports RCS, and applies SMS fallback if needed.
Carriers validate and deliver the message to supported devices through the appropriate, native app.
Delivery & interaction data is routed back through the aggregator to your engagement dashboard.

So while it may seem like magic when a rich, branded message shows up on a user’s phone, there’s a lot of choreography behind the scenes.

FAQs: What marketers still ask about RCS

Is RCS replacing SMS?
Not entirely, at least not yet. RCS is an evolution, not a replacement. SMS is still the lowest-common-denominator option when RCS isn’t supported.

Do I need to build my own RCS bot?
No. Modern engagement platforms abstract the technical complexities of bot development. You can send rich messages without hiring a dev team.

How do I know if a user supports RCS?
Your engagement platform or aggregator will handle this check automatically and apply fallback if necessary.

Is RCS expensive?
It’s generally priced higher than SMS, but still cost-effective, especially considering the lift in engagement. Prices vary by aggregator and region.

Why marketers should explore RCS now

We’re still early in the RCS adoption curve, but the momentum is gaining. The combination of high open rates, interactive content, and branded trust signals makes RCS an especially powerful tool for:

Abandoned cart nudges
Loyalty program updates
Personalized promos
Product launches
Appointment reminders

And with Apple rolling out RCS soon, the addressable market is set to expand dramatically.

By investing in RCS now, you’ll be positioned to scale when the channel matures.

Interested in adding RCS to your messaging mix?

Platforms like OneSignal support RCS and make it easy to create rich, interactive experiences without complexity. Interested in applying for RCS?

Get in touch with our team to learn more about the application process, we'd be happy to help!

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