These three little letters could pose a surprisingly big threat when you’re texting. RCS stands for “rich communication services” and it’s supposed to create a richer texting experience. Its purpose is to bridge the gap between iPhone and Android systems. More advanced than SMS (short message service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), RCS texting offers more modern features, including typing indicators that show when someone is typing, read receipts that let you know when a message is read, file sharing, better group chats, the ability to send voice messages, and the sharing of locations. If you have an iPhone, you will see “RCS” when you’re texting with someone who has an Android phone. If you’re messaging another iPhone user, however, you will instead see “iMessage” in faint letters in the text box or sometimes above a message. There is, however, a potential danger with RCS texts, as they can be more easily hacked. RCS isn’t end-to-end encrypted and could risk third parties gaining access to the contents of your messages. The good news is that you can turn off RCS.
For iPhone users:
• Go to Settings.
• Select Apps.
• Tap Messages.
• Select RCS Messaging.
• Toggle the tab to the “off” position.
For Android users:
• Open Google Messages.
• Tap your profile picture or icon in the top right.
• Select Messages settings.
• Tap RCS chats, and turn it off.
