RCS (Rich Communication Services) entered 2025 with high expectations, driven by the Android ecosystem and reinforced by Apple’s decision to supportRCS starting with iOS 18. Backing from global brands and expanding coverage seemed to signal the beginning of its consolidation. Yet results have been uneven: while markets such as Brazil, France, and Spain show clear progress, adoption in other regions remains limited.

RCS and fraud: a key battleground in 2026

According to Juniper Research, this year, RCS will become a critical battleground against mobile fraud, for four main reasons:

• Mass adoption: Apple’s integration multiplies the user base and expands the attack surface.
• Fraud migration: As enterprises shift traffic from SMS to RCS, fraudsters follow.
• Rich content:  Images, carousels, and interactive buttons enable more sophisticated phishing campaigns.
• Security challenges: End-to-end encryption (E2EE) limits message inspection, pushing operators to invest in AI-powered firewalls.

This evolving landscape is accelerating demand for new security, verification, and identity solutions across the RCS ecosystem.

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Growth with conditions

A MEF survey of 35 companies in the messaging ecosystem revealed a clear trend:

• 69% support an RCS-first strategy
• 9% oppose it
• 23% are still debating internally

Analysts interpret this as “strong momentum toward RCS adoption, combined with industry caution around universal deployment.”

Respondents highlighted several barriers to enterprise RCS adoption:

• Pricing: RCS remains more expensive than SMS and other channels.
• Regional penetration gaps: Adoption varies significantly by geography.
• Ecosystem readiness: Aggregators and CPaaS providers are not yet fully prepared to support RCS at scale.

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Building the foundations

MEF analysts conclude that RCS-first “is on its way, but requires the right foundations.” This strategy makes sense when:

• Use cases benefit from rich, interactive experiences.
• Pricing aligns with enterprise ROI expectations.
• Android and iOS penetration is strong.
• Onboarding and implementation are simplified.

Plusmo’s perspective

At Plusmo, we believe the question is no longer whether to adopt RCS, but how: with the right balance of security, verification, and scalability. That is why we develop enterprise-grade RCS solutions designed to address these challenges and unlock real business value. With the right foundations, RCS becomes not just an opportunity, but the future of enterprise messaging.