RCS in your text messages means your phone is using a newer, richer kind of texting instead of old‑school SMS/MMS, similar to iMessage‑style chats but for regular phone numbers.

What “RCS” Means

  • RCS stands for Rich Communication Services, a modern messaging standard meant to replace SMS and MMS.
  • When you see “RCS” or “RCS chat” in your message app, it usually means that conversation is using this newer protocol instead of plain text SMS.

Why Your Phone Shows “RCS”

  • Many Android (and now newer iPhone) updates automatically enable RCS features, so your phone may have switched after a recent update without you changing anything.
  • Some apps show “RCS chat” or a small label to indicate that chat is using enhanced features like read receipts, typing indicators, and data/Wi‑Fi instead of your SMS text plan.

What RCS Changes For You

  • You can usually send higher‑quality photos and videos, see when someone is typing, and get read receipts, similar to popular chat apps.
  • Messages are sent over mobile data or Wi‑Fi instead of just the cellular text network, which can make delivery faster and more reliable in many cases.

Is RCS Good Or Bad?

  • For most people, RCS is an upgrade: better media, group chats that work more smoothly, and sometimes added security like end‑to‑end encryption between supported devices.
  • The main downside is that if the other person’s phone or carrier does not support RCS, the chat can fall back to regular SMS/MMS, and features like typing indicators or read receipts disappear.

How To Turn RCS On Or Off

  • On many Android phones using Google Messages: go to Messages settings → RCS chats (or “Chat features”) → toggle on or off as you like.
  • On newer iPhones with RCS support: RCS can usually be toggled in Settings → Messages → RCS Messaging (wording may vary depending on iOS version).

TL;DR: It says “RCS” because your phone is using a newer, richer texting system instead of basic SMS; you can keep it on for better features or turn it off in your messaging settings if you prefer simple old‑style texts.