Why RCS messaging is the future

Why RCS messaging is the future

If there’s one constant in customer engagement, it’s change. Today’s consumers are leading the charge, expecting brands to keep pace not just with technology but with their evolving preferences. The ever-present smartphone is now their personal assistant, shopping adviser, and direct line to the brands they care about. As a result, expectations have grown: customers want conversations that are instant, visual, and interactive, all within the messaging apps they trust most.

Yet, even the beloved SMS and its multimedia sibling, MMS, are hitting their limits. SMS is everywhere and reliable, but the experience is stark—just short snippets of text, 160 characters at a time. MMS can add media, but with clunky file size limits and inconsistent support, it can’t always deliver the visual richness the modern customer desires.

Enter RCS, the next evolution in mobile messaging. With the promise of deeper engagement, interactive content, and secure branded interactions, RCS is redefining what’s possible between brands and their customers. Let’s explore how this new standard is setting the course for the future of customer communication.

The strategic case for RCS: a premium channel

If RCS was just a technical upgrade, it wouldn’t be generating so much industry excitement. The reality is more profound: RCS is strategic. It’s a way to differentiate and deliver experiences that can’t always be matched by legacy channels.

SMS brought us immediacy and reach, but at its core, it’s a blunt tool that’s simply functional and not delightful. MMS tried to evolve this but was held back by network constraints and fragmented device support. In contrast, RCS brings mobile messaging into the app era. Think tap-to-buy buttons, suggested replies, high-resolution image carousels, and branded sender profiles, all delivered natively in the customer’s default messaging app. These feature upgrades will become outcome multipliers.

Forward-thinking leaders in digital customer experience (CX) are recognizing this shift. This premium channel enables new kinds of journeys and new moments for engagement that translate to measurable business results. Brands embracing RCS are finding not just higher response rates but also increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. In a world where CX is the new battleground, RCS delivers a competitive edge.

RCS as a driver for better customer engagement

The heart of RCS is interactive and fully branded experiences right in the native messaging app. 80% of consumers say they prefer personalized, engaging experiences. With RCS, there’s no need for downloading new apps or tricky sign-ups. RCS provides smooth, visual conversations that keep your customers engaged and coming back for more.

With interactive carousels, quick-reply buttons, and media-rich messaging, brands can move beyond transactional alerts to hold genuine conversations. Imagine a customer receiving a shipping update with a real-time map, two-tap support access, and a feedback survey (instead of just a tracking number) all within the same message thread. It’s a level of seamlessness that simplifies the customer journey and lowers the friction that typically leads to message fatigue or drop-off.

The engagement impact is undeniable. Consumers are 35 times more likely to open an RCS message than an email. The ability to guide customers with rich media, automation, and instant responses means fewer abandoned carts, more completed bookings, and dramatically shortened sales cycles.

Take these quick examples:

• Retailers are using RCS to send shoppable lookbooks, where customers can tap to view products, get personalized recommendations, and make purchases all in one place.

• Financial institutions are sending verified, branded account alerts that let customers take action instantly and securely.

• Travel and hospitality brands leverage RCS to share interactive boarding passes, dynamic itineraries, and customer support.

Your engagement options just got an upgrade with RCS.

Building loyalty and trust with RCS marketing

Trust is the foundation of every customer relationship, and it’s increasingly under threat from phishing, spoofing, and spam. RCS has features that build credibility and peace of mind right out of the box.

Verified sender identities and branded profiles mean customers always know who’s reaching out. No more guessing if that message asking to reset a password is really from their bank. With RCS, brands can display logos, color schemes, and company details to assure customers they’re in trusted hands every time they engage.

Security benefits are built in, too. RCS helps curb fraud by verifying senders at the network level and by making it far easier for carriers and messaging providers to spot potential bad actors. For industries like banking and ecommerce, where trust and compliance are non-negotiable, this is a game-changer.

All of which consumers are noticing. In Twilio’s 2025 State of Customer Engagement Report, we continued to see a marked shift toward digital channels that are both rich and secure. Customers are now saying loud and clear: They prefer to interact with brands through modern messaging that’s both personalized and protected.

RCS for end-to-end customer journeys

Powerful journeys are built on more than a single touchpoint. RCS unlocks full-funnel automation and interaction, from the moment a customer discovers your brand all the way through transaction, support, and re-engagement.

• Discovery: welcome messages, onboarding instructions, and interactive product quizzes

• Decision: price drop alerts, personalized offers with one-tap purchase, in-message consultations

• Transaction: real-time purchase confirmations, e-receipts, and shipping notifications with visual maps and call-to-action buttons

• Support: two-way messaging for rescheduling, troubleshooting, and live chat enabling customers to get help or resolve issues without ever leaving the message window

• Re-engagement: abandoned cart reminders, feedback surveys, loyalty rewards, and tailored upsell recommendations

Here are some sample flows:

• Appointment booking: The customer receives a reminder with options to reschedule, add to calendar, or get directions via interactive buttons.

• Order tracking: A rich card shows real-time delivery status with a tap-to-call if anything changes and suggested replies for feedback or support.

• Conversational commerce: Product recommendations are sent based on previous purchases and customers check out their carts with a few taps.

With RCS, siloed and transactional messaging becomes a thing of the past. Every communication is an opportunity to nurture the relationship, moving customers along the full journey with fewer break points.

The RCS opportunity: industry momentum and ecosystem growth

The RCS ecosystem is expanding fast. Approximately 900 million users worldwide are expected to already be RCS-enabled. Google Messages has made RCS the default experience on most Android devices, and Apple has rolled out RCS support as of late 2024. That means the majority of smartphone users are ready to engage with brands in new, powerful ways.

Global momentum abounds. In markets like the UK, Germany, Spain, and Brazil, telco adoption and enterprise rollout are moving swiftly. Carriers, technology platforms, and industry consortia like the GSMA are investing to make RCS reliable, scalable, and accessible for enterprises of all sizes.

And the biggest brands are leading the way—think airlines streamlining check-in, banks delivering secure two-way alerts, and retailers driving mobile commerce through interactive messaging. The business risk today isn’t in being too early with RCS but in falling behind as consumer expectations shift and competitors race to capture attention.

Why now is the time for RCS

The speed of change in customer communication has never been greater, and the costs of delay have never been higher. Brands that wait on RCS risk falling behind on more than just technology; they miss out on evolving with their customers’ needs and standards for trust.

RCS is a future-proof investment in engagement, brand equity, and business results. As messaging becomes more immersive and secure, the brands that thrive will be those that meet customers where they are with the experiences they expect.

Step into the future with RCS and Twilio

The future is already here. Will you be part of it?

If you’re ready to explore what RCS can do for your business, Twilio is here to help. Twilio has directly integrated RCS into its Programmable Messaging API, so no code changes are needed to implement RCS into your current messaging solution. We make it simple to integrate RCS into your existing workflows, launch branded campaigns, and deliver reliable conversations your customers will remember.  

If you’re an existing customer, log in to Twilio Console to get started. If you need more information or to request a demo, contact sales to connect with a Twilio expert. If you’re ready to get started with RCS, sign up for a free account today.