RCS: the next generation of SMS.
Verified sender, brand logo, buttons, read receipts. Reach customers without an app install via the native messaging app on their smartphone.
Why SMS no longer gets read
An SMS today arrives as a grey block of text from a number nobody recognises. No sender name, no logo, no sign the message is genuine. Between parcel scams and prize draws, the recipient sorts it out in seconds.
RCS is the successor standard: sender with a verified name and logo, images, buttons and read receipts — directly in the pre-installed messaging app, with nothing to install.
How that plays out against SMS in practice is in the post RCS instead of SMS .
What RCS is
RCS = Rich Communication Services. The extension of SMS, supported by all major German mobile operators. Instead of 160 plaintext characters you get: logo, verified sender, images, carousel cards, reply buttons and read receipts, directly in the standard messaging app on the phone.
Use cases
- Delivery notifications with live tracking
- Appointment reminders with confirm buttons
- Marketing campaigns with images and CTAs
- Authentication with branded sender (instead of 6-digit number)
- Customer service routing with quick-reply options
Trend in Germany
Telekom, Vodafone and O2 support RCS Business Messaging in Germany. Apple activated RCS support in iOS in 2024. This means: for the first time you can reach iPhone AND Android users with a rich format without app install.
How we start
- Brand verification with the carrier (Telekom etc.)
- Set up templates and flows
- Test campaign with a small recipient group
- Go live & monitoring
The limit worth knowing
RCS does not reach every device. Whether a message arrives as RCS depends on the recipient's handset, their messaging app and their mobile operator. Where that does not line up, the message falls back to SMS — the recipient still gets it, but without logo, images and buttons.
Anyone promising blanket RCS reach is leaving that part out. We plan campaigns so they also work in the SMS fallback, and tell you beforehand what is realistic.
Common questions
Do our customers need an app?
No. RCS runs in the messaging app already on the device. That is the key difference from WhatsApp: no installation, no opt-in to another account, no extra login.
RCS or rather WhatsApp?
Depends on the purpose. WhatsApp is strong for dialogue, because your customers already write there — that is what Superchat is for. RCS is strong for notifications to people who never gave you their number for messaging: appointment reminders, status updates, delivery notices.
How does the recipient know it is really us?
Through the verified sender. Name, logo and colour are checked in an approval process before you may send. That is exactly what separates your message from the scam SMS next to it.
Do we see whether the message was read?
With RCS yes, including delivery and button taps. In the SMS fallback no — there the feedback ends at delivery.
What about GDPR?
For advertising via RCS the same rules apply as for SMS: you need consent. For service messages about an ongoing matter, such as an appointment reminder, it looks different. What is permissible in your case we clarify beforehand — and when in doubt with your data protection officer, not on a hunch.
How long does sender verification take?
That is decided by the verification body, not the provider: company proof, logo, sender name and a sample of what you intend to send all get reviewed. It usually takes a few working days and can trigger follow-up questions. We prepare the paperwork so it does not stall over a missing commercial register extract.
Related services
These service areas are often used together:
RCS for your company?
We check availability, effort and whether RCS makes sense for your use case.
