RCS 4.0 upgrades could bring video calls to your messaging app

SMS has been showing its age for years, especially next to apps like WhatsApp and iMessage that let you jump from text to calls and format messages more freely. But the next evolution of standard texting with RCS is taking another step to catch up, with video calling potentially on the way.

According to an announcement from the GSMA, RCS Universal Profile 4.0 has now been finalized. This latest version of the Rich Communication Services standard introduces several upgrades, including native video calling within chats, richer text formatting, and improved media sharing.

RCS messaging powers a more modern texting experience on many phones today, replacing old-school SMS with features like read receipts and better-quality photos and videos. On Android, that usually means apps like Google Messages, while Apple brought RCS support to its own Messages app more recently.

The most eye-catching addition in this RCS upgrade is messaging-initiated video calls — the prospect of jumping straight from a chat into a video call without switching apps would be a major upgrade for most apps, though Apple already integrates FaceTime into its Messages app. Group chats would work too, letting people join even after a call has started.

The improvements don’t stop there. RCS 4.0 adds support for rich text formatting, so you can use things like bold or italics in messages. It also improves how photos, videos, and audio are sent, with devices choosing the best format both sides can support to avoid the usual compression issues. Some of the changes are more focused on business messaging, such as streaming video in message cards and greater control over how links open.

This is the finalization of a standard, not a feature rollout. The GSMA has outlined what RCS apps and services could do next, but it’s now up to developers, phone makers, and carriers to actually bring those features to life.