A new RCS update could connect iPhone and Android video calls, someday

iPhone and Android users might be able to make interoperable video calls through their messaging apps — eventually. Last week, the GSM Association (GSMA) announced that the finalized RCS Universal Profile 4.0 standard will let users turn 1-to-1 or group RCS chats into video calls thanks to a feature called Messaging‑Initiated Video Calls (MIVC).

“MIVC will ensure the continuity of the conversation by allowing group members to join an ongoing video call that they could not accept when it started, as well as synchronise MIVC logs within the chat timeline,” the GSMA says. “When implemented, MIVC paves the way for the first natively supported video call experience that’s interoperable across a wide range of devices and networks.”

However, Apple and Google haven’t yet announced support for this feature, so it’s unclear if or when you might be able to turn chats across platforms into a video call right from your messaging app. Apple and Google didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

RCS Universal Profile 4.0 also supports text formatting, allowing users to add styles like bold, italics, and strikethrough to text in their messages, and it lets users share “higher quality” audio, video, and images.