SMS on Android is the carrier’s standard text-messaging system, and it is the fallback used when richer chat features are unavailable. On your Android phone, SMS is the basic, universal way to send and receive text messages over your mobile network, and it works automatically when more advanced options like RCS are not supported.
What is SMS on Android?
SMS, or Short Message Service, on Android is the fundamental text-messaging system provided by your mobile carrier. It is built into every Android phone and requires no internet connection, relying instead on the cellular network to deliver messages. SMS messages are typically limited to 160 characters; if your message exceeds this limit, it will be sent as multiple SMS. Sending SMS on Android is usually included in your cellular plan, and you may be charged by your mobile service provider for each message sent. On modern Android devices, Google Messages is the recommended app for handling SMS, and it also supports RCS (Rich Communication Services) as a richer upgrade. When RCS is unavailable, unsupported, or disabled, Google Messages automatically falls back to SMS and MMS to keep your conversations going.
How SMS works as the fallback for RCS
Google Messages is the app to use on Android for both SMS and RCS. When you send a message in Google Messages, the app first tries to use RCS for features like read receipts, typing indicators, and high-quality media. If the person you are texting does not have RCS, if their device or carrier does not support it, or if the RCS connection is still verifying, the conversation automatically falls back to SMS and MMS. This fallback ensures your message is always delivered, even when the richer chat features are not available. You do not need to change any settings for this to happen; it is the default behavior of Google Messages.
How to turn on RCS chats on Android
To enable the richer messaging experience on your Android phone, follow these steps in Google Messages:
- Open Google Messages.
- Tap your profile picture or icon at the top right.
- Tap Messages settings.
- Tap RCS chats.
- Turn RCS chats on.
Once enabled, your messages will use RCS when the recipient and their carrier support it. If they do not, the conversation will fall back to SMS and MMS automatically. If you have an Android device with dual SIM support, you have the option to choose which SIM card to use for sending SMS.
Android-to-iPhone texting and SMS
When texting between an Android phone and an iPhone, the default method is SMS and MMS unless both sides have RCS enabled. Android-to-iPhone texting uses SMS and MMS when RCS is not available, which means messages lack features like read receipts and typing indicators. On some Android devices and messaging apps, there is an option to enable read receipts for SMS, which allows the sender to know when you have read their message. For iPhone users to send and receive RCS messages with Android, they need iOS 18 or later and a carrier that supports RCS. Without that, standard texts from Android arrive in Apple’s Messages app as regular SMS or MMS. If you are switching from an iPhone to an Android phone, Google says you should switch texting from Apple’s iMessage to Android’s Messages so your texts reach the new Android phone. On Android, you can manage your messaging experience by adjusting the text messaging and T-Mobile text settings in your device’s messaging app to control how your carrier handles your messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What app handles SMS on Android?
Google points users to Google Messages as the app to use for SMS and RCS on Android. It is the default messaging app on most new Android phones and is available for download from the Google Play Store.
How do I turn on RCS on Android?
Open Google Messages, tap your profile picture or icon, then go to Messages settings, tap RCS chats, and turn RCS chats on. This enables the richer messaging features when supported by the recipient and their carrier.
Can iPhone users use RCS with Android?
Yes, iPhone users can use RCS with Android on iOS 18 or later, provided their carrier supports RCS. Without that, messages between Android and iPhone fall back to SMS and MMS.
What happens if RCS is not available?
If RCS is unavailable, unsupported, disabled, still verifying, or cannot serve every participant in a conversation, the messaging app automatically falls back to SMS and MMS. Your message will still be delivered, but without the enhanced features of RCS.
Can I send SMS messages to people who don't have Android devices?
Yes, SMS is a universal messaging protocol supported by all mobile phone networks and devices, regardless of the operating system.
How are text messages stored on Android?
By default, text messages on Android are stored in the messaging app; you can specify the maximum number of messages to be stored, and when that limit is reached, older messages will be automatically deleted to make room for new ones.
Can I organize my SMS messages?
You can create folders and labels to categorize your SMS messages based on different criteria, such as personal, work, or important contacts. You can archive important SMS messages to a separate folder, making it easy to access them later without them being in your main SMS thread.
Can I block SMS from specific numbers?
Android devices have a built-in feature that allows you to block specific phone numbers or contacts from sending you SMS messages, accessible through your device's messaging settings.
Can sending media files incur extra charges?
Some Android devices may automatically convert large or unsupported multimedia files into MMS, which may incur additional charges from your mobile phone network.
For the wider topic, see text messaging and T-Mobile texts.
