Key Takeaways
Sending and receiving text messages on an iPad isn’t particularly difficult, but there’s more than one kind of message format. If you want to send RCS messages from Apple’s tablet, you can do so as long as you set everything up correctly. Here's how.
What Is RCS?
RCS is shorthand for “Rich Communication Services” and the short explanation is that it’s what’s been steadily replacing SMS messaging across a number of cell carriers. It still lets you send text messages, photos, videos, and so on to other people and other devices. But it also boasts better quality for media attachments along plus perks like optional read receipts, being able to see when the other person is typing, and so on.
If this sounds a lot like Apple’s iMessage texting service that’s been a big part of the iPhone and iPad for years, that’s because they are functionally very similar. What makes iMessage different is that it’s proprietary for Apple devices only, and it allows for end-to-end encryption for texts (though RCS messages sent between users via Google Messages are also encrypted(.
All that being said, Apple did finally embrace (or at least allow) RCS messaging on the iPhone by way of its iOS 18 operating system update. This doesn’t mean you can effortlessly send RCS messages on your iPad yet, though.
Check With Your Carrier First
When it comes to RCS messaging, the biggest hurdle isn’t the device you’re using—it’s your carrier. Kind of. It’s not such a big problem these days, because RCS has become something of a new standard for text messaging. As long as your iPhone is running iOS 18 or newer, checking for RCS messaging support is really easy.
Open the Settings app (it looks like a gear), tap General > About, then scroll down to the “Physical SIM” section.
Tap on the entry that says “Carrier” and it will change to “PRL,” then tap again to change to “IMS Status.”
If your IMS Status includes RCS (it will likely display “Voice, SMS & RCS”) then you know your carrier allows for RCS messaging.
Message Forwarding Through iPhone
The most direct way to start using RCS messaging on your iPad is to set up message forwarding through your iPhone, so that you can receive and send messages on your iPad with your iPhone acting as a kind of bridge. This used to be limited to SMS (and the even older MMS format), but if your devices are running iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, RCS may also be available as long as your carrier supports it.
First, make sure you’re logged into both the iPhone and iPad using your Apple Account (formerly called Apple ID). Or create one if it’s a new device.
On the iPhone and with iOS 18 installed, open Settings (the gear icon), scroll to the bottom of the menu, then tap on “Apps.”
Scroll down the list and tap “Messages,” then scroll down to the “Text Messaging” section to find “RCS Messaging.” Tap the toggle next to “RCS Messaging” to turn it on—if the toggle is already green, RCS is already turned on for your iPhone.
To set up forwarding, open Settings > Apps > Messages.
Scroll down and select “Text Message Forwarding” to pull up a list of all the devices your Apple Account is connected with.
Tap the toggle next to any of the associated devices you want to forward your iPhone messages to—in this case, the iPad. You’ll know it’s on when the toggle turns green.
If you have Two-factor Authentication set up for your Apple Account, you may also be prompted to enter a code to link the two devices.
While there are plenty of options for third-party (as in, not made by Apple) apps that offer SMS messaging on iPad, RCS is another matter. At the moment, you’re going to have to upgrade to iOS 18 (if you haven’t yet), and have a cell carrier that offers RCS, in order to start using it.
One very important detail to remember is that RCS messaging isn’t always free. If you’re connected to a Wi-Fi signal then your texts should go through on Wi-Fi and not cost you anything. However, RCS messages sent over a LTE or 5G connection could end up adding to your monthly bill depending on the particulars of your cellular data plan.