I thought RCS was supposed to enable me to receive high-quality videos via text?

[PacificaBren]

So I'm really sick and tired of iPhone users sending me high-resolution videos via text message and not understanding those are going to come through looking like pixelated dog waste on my Android phone.

People keep claiming if I enable RCS, I will be able to receive full-resolution videos via text.

OK, first challenge: I can't enable that in Samsung Messenger, because my carrier, T-Mobile, only supports RCS for Google Messenger.

So I switched my default texting app to Google Messenger and then opened the settings. Lo and behold, RCS is already enabled by default.

But I just had two different friends with iPhones text me some videos, and they still look like pixelated dog waste!

Am I doing something wrong? Is there some other setting I need to deal with?

Or is it simply a false claim that RCS allows Android phones to receive full-resolution videos?

This is on a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, model SM-S711U1, running Android 14.

Thank you, as always, for your help!

 

[Clementine_3]

Your iPhone friends also need to have RCS enabled, it's in iOS 18 but that has to be manually updated, it's not automatic. A lot of people didn't, or won't, update. It's, again, an Apple issue.

 

[PacificaBren]

Your iPhone friends also need to have RCS enabled, it's in iOS 18 but that has to be manually updated, it's not automatic. A lot of people didn't, or won't, update. It's, again, an Apple issue.

Thank you! I will look into this.

 

[Dannydet]

Have all of your iPhone friends switch to Androids and all of the issues will disappear!
As Clementine_3 stated, it's an iPhone issue, not android....

 

[mikedt]

Some useful information here from Apple...

What is the difference between iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS? - Apple Support

Learn why some of your message bubbles are blue or green.

support.apple.com

All your iPhone friends will be using iMessage by default.

 

[Clementine_3]

Ooooo, looks like an update from Apple may have rolled out finally. All my iPhone peeps are showing RCS chat now.

 

[PacificaBren]

I am so frustrated right now. I finally switched to Google Messenger for good.

I sent or received a test message containing a video to my friend who has an iPhone.

Much to my surprise and delight, it worked, and the video went through at full quality.

That was weeks ago.

Now, when that same friend sends me a video, it's all pixelated, just like before.

What the heck is going on?

Why were videos previously going through at full resolution, but now they're not?