How to turn RCS on and off

On Android, open Google Messages, go to Settings, then RCS chats, and use the toggle. On iPhone, go to Settings, Apps, Messages, and turn RCS Messaging on or off. Turning RCS off does not stop your messages, they simply send as SMS and MMS instead, which means no typing indicators, no read receipts, lower-quality images, and no encryption between RCS users.

How to Turn RCS On or Off: Android and iPhone

On Android

Google Messages is the only Android RCS client on US networks, so this is the only place the setting lives.

Open Google Messages.
Tap your profile icon in the top right.
Choose Messages settings.
Tap RCS chats.
Use the toggle at the top to turn it on or off.

When you turn it on, the number re-verifies. That usually takes moments but can take up to 24 hours on a newly ported line. When you turn it off, the change is immediate and every conversation reverts to SMS and MMS on your next message.

On iPhone

Apple added RCS in iOS 18, so anything earlier has no setting to find. Check Settings, General, About if you are unsure which version you are on.

Open Settings.
Tap Apps.
Tap Messages.
Scroll to RCS Messaging and use the toggle.

iMessage continues to work exactly as before either way, because RCS only affects conversations with non-iMessage users. Turning RCS off on an iPhone therefore changes nothing about your blue threads and everything about your green ones.

If the toggle is missing or greyed out

On Android, a missing RCS chats entry almost always means you are not in Google Messages, or it is not set as the default messaging app. On iPhone, a missing RCS Messaging entry means either iOS 17 or earlier, or a carrier that has not yet shipped the bundle for your plan. A greyed-out toggle on either platform usually means a managed work profile controls it, in which case the setting belongs to your employer rather than to you.

Turning it off for one conversation

There is no per-thread RCS switch on either platform. The toggle is account-wide. If the goal is to stop read receipts rather than to disable RCS, that is a separate setting under the same RCS chats screen on Android, and under Settings, Apps, Messages on iPhone. Turning read receipts off keeps everything else RCS gives you, which is usually what people actually want.

What actually changes when you turn it off

RCS is a delivery layer, not an app, and what RCS messaging is covers everything that layer adds. Switching it off does not disable texting, it downgrades it. You lose typing indicators, read receipts, high-resolution photo and video sending, group chat features, and the encryption RCS provides between participants. Messages fall back to SMS and MMS, which every phone supports. Existing conversations stay in place, and no history is deleted.

One practical side effect catches people out: media you send after switching off is compressed hard by MMS, so photos that looked fine last week arrive noticeably worse. That is MMS behaving normally, not a fault.

Reasons people turn it off

The common ones are troubleshooting a stuck conversation, wanting delivery to behave identically for every contact, avoiding read receipts, or reducing data use on a very limited plan. RCS uses data rather than the SMS channel, so on a metered connection that is a real, if small, consideration. Toggling off and on again is also the standard first fix for a registration that has stalled, which is why the same setting appears in most RCS troubleshooting guides.

Key facts

Android: Google Messages, Settings, RCS chats, toggle.
iPhone: Settings, Apps, Messages, RCS Messaging (iOS 18 or later only).
Turning RCS off does not stop messages, it drops them to SMS and MMS.
You lose read receipts, typing indicators, image quality, and encryption.
There is no per-conversation switch; the toggle is account-wide.
A greyed-out toggle usually means a managed work profile controls the setting.

Frequently asked

Will turning off RCS stop me receiving messages?

No. Turning RCS off changes how messages travel, not whether they arrive. Conversations revert to SMS and MMS, which every phone on every carrier supports. You keep your threads and your history, and you lose typing indicators, read receipts, full-quality media, and the encryption RCS adds between participants.

Does turning off RCS turn off iMessage?

No, they are independent. iMessage is the Apple service used between Apple devices, and RCS only affects conversations with non-iMessage contacts. Switching RCS off on an iPhone leaves blue threads exactly as they were and drops green ones to SMS and MMS.

Why can I not find the RCS setting on my iPhone?

Almost always the iOS version. Apple added RCS in iOS 18, so on iOS 17 or earlier there is no setting to find. If you are on iOS 18 or later and it is still missing, the carrier bundle for your plan has not shipped it yet, which is most common on prepaid brands and smaller MVNOs.

Does RCS use my text allowance or my data?

Data. RCS travels over Wi-Fi or mobile data rather than the cellular text channel, so it does not draw down a texting allowance. The amount is small for text and meaningful for video and large images, which is the one genuine reason to turn it off on a tightly capped plan.

Can I turn RCS off for just one person?

No. The toggle is account-wide on both Android and iPhone, and there is no per-conversation switch. If the goal is to stop read receipts rather than to disable RCS, that is a separate setting that leaves everything else intact, and it is usually the one people actually want.