RCS Messages

RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next generation of messaging for Android devices, offering rich media, interactivity, and advanced features beyond traditional SMS.

Overview

RCS provides enhanced messaging capabilities:

Rich media (images, videos, GIFs)
Interactive buttons and carousels
Read receipts and typing indicators
Higher character limits (up to 3072 characters)
Better delivery tracking
Branded sender identification

Availability

Platform: Android devices only
Network: Requires carrier RCS support
Fallback: Automatically falls back to SMS if RCS unavailable

Basic RCS Message

RCS Example

Request

{
  "from": "YourBrand",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Your RCS message text with rich formatting"
}

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`from`	string	Yes	Alphanumeric sender ID
`to`	string	Yes	Recipient phone number (E.164)
`type`	string	Yes	Set to `"rcs"`
`text`	string	Yes	Message content (up to 3072 chars)
`messageData`	object	No	Rich media and buttons

Message Types

Text Only

Simple text message with extended character limit:

{
  "from": "YourBrand",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Welcome to our service! RCS allows us to send much longer messages with rich formatting and interactive elements."
}

Text + Image

{
  "from": "YourBrand",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Check out our new product!",
  "messageData": {
    "media": {
      "url": "https://example.com/product.jpg",
      "type": "image/jpeg",
      "height": 600,
      "width": 800
    }
  }
}

Text + Image + Button

{
  "from": "YourStore",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Summer Sale - Up to 50% off!",
  "messageData": {
    "media": {
      "url": "https://example.com/sale-banner.jpg",
      "type": "image/jpeg"
    },
    "buttons": [
      {
        "text": "Shop Now",
        "action": {
          "type": "openUrl",
          "url": "https://example.com/sale"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Text + Video

{
  "from": "YourBrand",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Watch our product demo",
  "messageData": {
    "media": {
      "url": "https://example.com/demo.mp4",
      "type": "video/mp4",
      "thumbnail": "https://example.com/thumbnail.jpg"
    }
  }
}

Text + Multiple Buttons

{
  "from": "YourService",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Your order #12345 is ready for pickup",
  "messageData": {
    "buttons": [
      {
        "text": "Track Order",
        "action": {
          "type": "openUrl",
          "url": "https://example.com/track/12345"
        }
      },
      {
        "text": "Contact Support",
        "action": {
          "type": "dial",
          "phoneNumber": "+380XXXXXXXXX"
        }
      },
      {
        "text": "Cancel Order",
        "action": {
          "type": "openUrl",
          "url": "https://example.com/cancel/12345"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

RCS Carousel

Display multiple items in a scrollable carousel:

{
  "from": "YourStore",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Featured Products",
  "messageData": {
    "carousel": {
      "cards": [
        {
          "title": "Product A",
          "description": "Premium quality product",
          "media": {
            "url": "https://example.com/product-a.jpg",
            "type": "image/jpeg"
          },
          "buttons": [
            {
              "text": "Buy Now",
              "action": {
                "type": "openUrl",
                "url": "https://example.com/product-a"
              }
            },
            {
              "text": "Details",
              "action": {
                "type": "openUrl",
                "url": "https://example.com/product-a/details"
              }
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "title": "Product B",
          "description": "Best seller",
          "media": {
            "url": "https://example.com/product-b.jpg",
            "type": "image/jpeg"
          },
          "buttons": [
            {
              "text": "Buy Now",
              "action": {
                "type": "openUrl",
                "url": "https://example.com/product-b"
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Button Actions

Open URL

{
  "text": "Visit Website",
  "action": {
    "type": "openUrl",
    "url": "https://example.com"
  }
}

Dial Phone Number

{
  "text": "Call Us",
  "action": {
    "type": "dial",
    "phoneNumber": "+380XXXXXXXXX"
  }
}

Send Location

{
  "text": "Share Location",
  "action": {
    "type": "shareLocation"
  }
}

Calendar Event

{
  "text": "Add to Calendar",
  "action": {
    "type": "createCalendarEvent",
    "title": "Appointment",
    "startTime": "2025-01-25T14:00:00Z",
    "endTime": "2025-01-25T15:00:00Z"
  }
}

Media Specifications

Images

Formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF
Max size: 2MB
Recommended resolution: 800x600 or 1200x800
Aspect ratio: 16:9 or 4:3

Videos

Formats: MP4, 3GP
Max size: 10MB
Max duration: 2 minutes
Recommended resolution: 1280x720

Audio

Formats: MP3, AAC
Max size: 5MB
Max duration: 5 minutes

Fallback to SMS

RCS automatically falls back to SMS when:

Recipient doesn't have RCS
RCS is disabled on recipient device
Network doesn't support RCS

{
  "from": "YourBrand",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Check out our new product!",
  "messageData": {
    "media": {
      "url": "https://example.com/product.jpg",
      "type": "image/jpeg"
    },
    "buttons": [
      {
        "text": "Shop Now",
        "action": {
          "type": "openUrl",
          "url": "https://example.com/shop"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "fallback": {
    "type": "sms",
    "text": "Check out our new product! Visit: https://example.com/shop"
  }
}

Use Cases

E-commerce

{
  "from": "YourStore",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Your order has been shipped!",
  "messageData": {
    "media": {
      "url": "https://example.com/package.jpg",
      "type": "image/jpeg"
    },
    "buttons": [
      {
        "text": "Track Package",
        "action": {
          "type": "openUrl",
          "url": "https://example.com/track/ABC123"
        }
      },
      {
        "text": "Contact Support",
        "action": {
          "type": "dial",
          "phoneNumber": "+380XXXXXXXXX"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Banking

{
  "from": "YourBank",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Low balance alert: Your account balance is $50",
  "messageData": {
    "buttons": [
      {
        "text": "View Balance",
        "action": {
          "type": "openUrl",
          "url": "https://bank.example.com/balance"
        }
      },
      {
        "text": "Transfer Money",
        "action": {
          "type": "openUrl",
          "url": "https://bank.example.com/transfer"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Travel

{
  "from": "YourAirline",
  "to": "+380XXXXXXXXX",
  "type": "rcs",
  "text": "Your flight is departing in 3 hours",
  "messageData": {
    "media": {
      "url": "https://example.com/boarding-pass.jpg",
      "type": "image/jpeg"
    },
    "buttons": [
      {
        "text": "Check-in",
        "action": {
          "type": "openUrl",
          "url": "https://airline.example.com/checkin"
        }
      },
      {
        "text": "Add to Calendar",
        "action": {
          "type": "createCalendarEvent",
          "title": "Flight Departure",
          "startTime": "2025-01-25T10:00:00Z"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Best Practices

Content

✅ Use high-quality images (800x600 minimum)
✅ Keep button text short (2-3 words)
✅ Provide SMS fallback for rich content
✅ Test on different Android devices
❌ Don't exceed 4-5 buttons per message
❌ Avoid large video files (>5MB)

Media

Use HTTPS URLs for all media
Optimize images for mobile
Include alt text for accessibility
Test media URLs before sending

Buttons

Maximum 4 buttons per message
Clear call-to-action text
Test all button actions
Consider fallback for unavailable actions

Branding

Use consistent sender ID
Include brand logo where appropriate
Maintain brand voice and tone
Ensure visual consistency

Delivery Status

RCS provides enhanced delivery tracking:

Sent: Message sent to carrier
Delivered: Message delivered to device
Read: Message opened by recipient
Failed: Delivery failed, fallback triggered

Check status using the status endpoint.

Next Steps

Viber Messages - Alternative rich messaging
SMS Messages - Fallback messaging
Check Status - Track delivery
Fallback Strategies - Configure fallbacks