Push, IAM, and RCS: The New Engagement Trifecta

If you’ve been following our recent deep dives into RCS, you already know the headline: rich, branded, interactive messaging is the new normal for mobile communication. But while most teams are excited about what RCS can do, the bigger, more practical question we hear most is:

“Where does RCS actually fit into my existing messaging strategy?”

We understand that adding a new channel (or even upgrading an existing one, like SMS) isn’t strictly a feature decision. There’s a large architecture component involved as well. Adding RCS may change how campaigns are planned, how moments of friction are solved, and how mobile teams design their customer lifecycle.

So rather than an RCS feature tour, this guide focuses on something more practical: How push, in-app messaging (IAM), and RCS work as a coordinated system.

First, do you have your channels tuned for the right job?

So much early churn—Day 1 drop-off, ignored pushes, stalled onboarding—comes back to one root cause: the message didn’t match the channel.

The first two you are familiar with, but it’s worth a quick refresher. Pay most attention to the third: RCS.

Push notifications: To spark attention

• Reaching users instantly outside your app
• Triggering urgency or awareness
• Re-engaging dormant users
• Prompting someone back into the app

In-app messaging: to guide behavior in context

• Educating or onboarding
• Reducing friction at a specific step
• Recovering intent while someone is already engaged
• Driving product activation

RCS: To deliver clarity and drive high-intent action

• Sharing rich visuals or structured information
• Providing multi-step guidance
• Confirming important events (orders, payments, reservations)
• Enabling a “conversation” with branded trust

A simple way to decide on which message belongs where

What you should really be gauging when it comes to choosing the right message for the job is message gravity.

Is your message…

☄️ Low Gravity? (not complex, it just needs to be seen.) → Push

🌗 Medium Gravity? (Users need context, not visuals.) → IAM

🪐 High Gravity? (branded visuals, structured cards/buttons, and higher perceived legitimacy.) → RCS

This framework simplifies channel decisions and helps teams avoid overusing the wrong channel for the wrong job.

So, where does RCS fit into your mix?

Some of the most effective customer experiences come from orchestrating a familiar pattern: a spark of attention → a guided moment of consideration → a clear, confidence-building confirmation.

That’s why push → IAM → RCS often becomes the default choreography.

→ Push opens the door when attention is missing.

→ IAM guides the user once they’ve stepped inside.

→ RCS closes the loop with clarity, structure, or next steps.

But it’s not a rigid rule. The order should flex based on where the user is, what they’re trying to do, and how much clarity the moment demands.

Should push always come first?

Not necessarily. Push is the go-to when you need to interrupt or re-engage.

When would IAM come first?

Anytime the user is already in a task flow—onboarding, checkout, discovery, verification—start with IAM. It’s contextual, it’s immediate, and it avoids the awkwardness of sending an external notification during an active session. Not the best look.

Can RCS ever come first?

Absolutely. If the moment is inherently high-stakes or high-clarity—like confirming a large purchase, verifying identity, preparing someone for an appointment, or sending pre-travel details—RCS is the most trustworthy entry point. It sets the tone and reduces confusion before the user even needs to open the app.

Example: Cart Recovery (eCommerce)

• Push: “Your cart’s waiting — still interested?”
  
• IAM: If the user opens → show a tailored offer or product recap
  
• RCS: If no open within 2 hours → send a structured, branded cart summary with CTA buttons

This layered approach respects user intent while maximizing conversion.

Let’s do another one, because they’re just so fun.

Example: Appointment Prep (Healthcare)

A completely different use case, but the same logic applies.

Scenario: A patient books an appointment but historically misses key prep steps (fasting, paperwork, arrival instructions).

• RCS (first this time): Send a branded, visual-friendly summary of appointment details, prep instructions, location, and quick-reply buttons for rescheduling or asking questions.
  
  Why first? Clarity is the priority here, not re-engagement. The stakes are high, and friction is costly.
  
• Push: The day before → “Quick reminder for tomorrow’s visit. Need anything?”
  
  This catches anyone who ignored the earlier message and brings them back to the details.
  
• IAM: When they open the app → show an in-context checklist to confirm prep steps, complete paperwork, or verify insurance. This ensures the user doesn’t just see the task, they actually complete it.

This flow improves preparedness, reduces no-shows, and uses each channel for exactly what it does best.

Here are some lightweight channel role maps

…to help teams visualize where each channel shines across industries.

Food & Delivery

Fintech

eCommerce

Media & Entertainment

Gaming

Where NOT to use RCS (important boundaries)

We love talking about how powerful RCS is, because it is, but it’s not universal. Here’s when teams should hold back:

❌ High-volume promotional blasts

These can inflate messaging costs and degrade the channel’s perceived value.

❌ Messages requiring rapid-fire frequency

Push handles tempo better.

❌ Low-intent segments

Save RCS for high-LTV or high-intent users where clarity matters.

❌ When information is too trivial to justify rich format

E.g., “Your weekly digest is ready.” Push or email fits better.

Being selective boosts performance and keeps RCS feeling premium.

I’ll leave you with a blueprint for evaluating where RCS fits in your current strategy

Ask your team:

1. Where do we lose clarity today?

If customers frequently misunderstand something (prep steps, order status, billing), add RCS.

2. Where is push open rate plateauing?

This signals opportunity for richer, more trustworthy communication.

3. Where do high-intent users need structured guidance?

Bookings, workflows, KYC, multi-step tasks → RCS.

4. Where are we currently engineering around messaging limitations?

If your team builds custom templates or workarounds, RCS may replace that overhead.

5. Which lifecycle moments deserve richer treatment?

Moments of emotional or financial significance should be elevated with RCS.

This evaluation helps teams identify “easy entry points” rather than trying to overhaul everything at once.

The Takeaway: RCS doesn’t replace push or IAM… it completes them

Together, they create seamless, high-performing customer journeys across the lifecycle.

And OneSignal is the only platform built to orchestrate all three with precision triggers, fallback logic, cross-channel automation, segmentation, and actionable analytics—all in one place.

If you’re ready to explore where RCS fits in your experience, we’d love to help you find the smartest entry point.

Let’s build something worth coming back to.