Have you ever wanted to quickly react to a text message you received by tapping a thumbs up or a laughing emoji? iMessage on iPhones has long allowed this, but Android users were mostly left out – until now.
With the recent introduction of RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging, you can react to texts with emojis on many Android phones. Read on as I walk you step-by-step through how to enable this fun new messaging capability.
What Makes RCS Messaging Special?
Before we get to the steps, let me provide some helpful background. RCS is a new messaging protocol that is replacing the old SMS standard on Android devices. When enabled, RCS brings Android messaging closer to iMessage with upgrades like:
- Message reactions (the focus of this guide!)
- Read receipts
- High res photo/video sharing
- Typing indicators
- Better group texts
However, both you and the person you are messaging need to have RCS activated to unlock these great features.
RCS Adoption Is Quickly Accelerating
RCS has been rolled out worldwide over the past 3 years across major carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile USA as well as manufacturers like Samsung and Google.
- As of 2022, over 60% of Android users in the US have access to RCS through their mobile provider according to Pew Research.
- By 2024, Statista estimates over 80% of all smartphones globally will be RCS-enabled.
So RCS coverage is rapidly expanding!
Step-by-Step Guide to Turning on RCS
Ready to turn on RCS messaging and use message reactions? Follow these steps:
First, open your Messages app on your Android. This is usually pre-installed by the manufacturer or carrier. Third party apps like WhatsApp won‘t work.
Next, go into the Settings section:
Tap "Chat features". If you see "Enable chat features" turned ON already, then you‘re all set!
If it‘s not enabled, tap the toggle to turn RCS messaging on. You may need to follow some additional prompts to verify your phone number.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you don‘t see the Chat features option at all, you likely need to upgrade your Android Messenger app. The latest Google Messenger version with RCS is available from the Play Store.
Once installed, repeat the steps above to activate chat features.
Check If Your Contacts Have RCS Too
In order for all the RCS messaging perks to work properly, the people you text must also have it enabled.
You can check your individual conversations to confirm. Tap any chat, hit details at the top and look for a notice like "All messages sent in this chat are secured with RCS end-to-end encryption".
If you don‘t see that, your contact doesn‘t have RCS working yet on their device. No worries – you can still text each other normally through traditional SMS/MMS.
Liking Messages on Android Step-by-Step
Now for the fun part – reacting to messages!
Once you confirm RCS is active in a chat, liking or reacting to a text is easy:
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Long press on the message you want to react to. A pop-up will appear with emojis.
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Tap the emoji you want to use as your reaction. For example, select the thumbs up icon to "like" the message.
That‘s it! The person you reacted to will see the emoji appear below their message.
To change your reaction later, just long press the message again and pick a different emoji. You can also remove your reaction completely by choosing the same emoji twice.
Why Aren‘t My Reactions Showing Up?
If your reactions still don‘t show up, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Confirm RCS is definitely on for both you and the recipient
- Toggle your RCS chat features off and back on
- Force stop the Messages app and restart your phone
As a last resort, you can install a 3rd party messaging app like WhatsApp that supports reactions universally across platforms.
The Future of RCS Messaging
With RCS and message reactions, Android‘s native messaging app is finally catching up to iMessage in terms of features. And there‘s even more upgrades coming down the pike like:
- Encrypted chat backups
- Better group messaging controls
- Support for liking photos and videos
As carriers and phone makers continue expanding RCS access, even more Android users will get to try out these great communication upgrades.
I don‘t know about you, but now that I‘ve enabled RCS, I love being able to quickly tap a 👍 or ❤️ on messages from friends and family. It makes conversations so much more interactive!
Let me know if you have any other questions on getting reactions up and running. Happy RCS messaging!
