RCS

RCS (Rich Communication Services) brings app-like messaging experiences to the default messaging app. It supports verified sender branding, rich media, interactive buttons, and read receipts.

When to use RCS

• Branded customer engagement: your logo and brand name appear instead of a random phone number
• Interactive flows: appointment booking, order tracking, payment links with tappable buttons
• Product showcases: send carousels, images, and videos inside a text conversation
• High-engagement campaigns: early adopters report 3 to 5x higher interaction rates versus plain SMS

Sending an RCS message

curl -X POST https://api.smooven.io/v1/agent/notify \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "channel": "rcs",
    "to": "+61400000000",
    "message": "Your order #1234 has shipped!",
    "rcs": {
      "card": {
        "title": "Order Shipped",
        "description": "Your package is on its way. Expected delivery: March 7.",
        "media_url": "https://example.com/tracking-map.png",
        "buttons": [
          { "text": "Track Package", "url": "https://example.com/track/1234" },
          { "text": "Contact Support", "phone": "+61280000000" }
        ]
      }
    }
  }'

RCS features

Feature	Description
Verified sender	Brand name, logo, and colour displayed in the message thread
Rich cards	Structured content with title, description, image, and buttons
Carousels	Multiple cards in a horizontally scrollable layout
Suggested actions	Tappable buttons for URLs, phone calls, calendar events, and map locations
Suggested replies	Quick-reply chips that users can tap instead of typing
Read receipts	Know when your message was delivered and read
Typing indicators	Show real-time typing status during interactive flows

Fallback handling

RCS availability depends on the recipient’s device, carrier, and region. Smooven automatically detects RCS capability. If the recipient cannot receive RCS, Smooven falls back to SMS (or another channel if you use Smart Routing).

// Response when fallback occurs
{
  "success": true,
  "notification_id": "ntf_xyz789",
  "channel_requested": "rcs",
  "channel_used": "sms",
  "fallback_reason": "rcs_not_supported",
  "status": "delivered"
}

RCS Business Messaging setup

To send branded RCS messages, you need to register your business with the RCS Business Messaging (RBM) programme. Smooven handles the technical integration. You provide:

1. Business name and logo as displayed in the message thread
2. Brand colour for message thread theming
3. Agent description (short text visible to recipients)
4. Verification through Google’s RBM partner programme

Contact sales@smooven.io to start the RBM registration process.

Device support

Platform	Support
Android (Google Messages)	Full support
iOS 18+	Basic RCS support (P2P), business messaging support expanding
Samsung Messages	Full support
Other Android apps	Varies by manufacturer