RCS 4.0: Universal Profile Adds Messaging-Initiated Video Calls

March 31, 2026 Rachel Kim – Technology Editor Technology

The GSMA has finalized the RCS Universal Profile 4.0, introducing Messaging-Initiated Video Calls (MIVC) as a standard feature for rich communication services. The upgrade, announced on March 26, 2026, enables users to initiate video calls directly within messaging threads, both in one-to-one and group conversations, allowing participants to join calls in progress and maintain a synchronized call history within the chat interface.

MIVC aims to deliver a seamless transition from text-based messaging to real-time video interaction, fully integrated within the existing conversation flow. According to the GSMA, the new profile represents the most comprehensive upgrade to RCS to date, strengthening the ecosystem by prioritizing video and more expressive text communication. The specification defines how a native video call should function when initiated from a text conversation.

Beyond video calls, RCS Universal Profile 4.0 also introduces rich text formatting options, including bold, italics, and strikethrough, enhancing the expressiveness of text-based messages. The update also supports streaming video within Rich Cards, a feature intended to benefit business messaging applications.

While the standard is now finalized, the availability of these features to end-users remains dependent on implementation by carriers, device manufacturers, and software developers. Neither Apple nor Google has publicly confirmed a timeline for integrating support for RCS Universal Profile 4.0 into their respective messaging applications, as of March 31, 2026.

The release of RCS Universal Profile 4.0 follows the implementation of end-to-end encryption between Android and iOS devices, enabled by RCS Universal Profiles 3.0, and 3.1. This progress builds on a growing adoption of RCS, with Google reporting over one billion RCS messages sent daily in the US by mid-2025. Increased RCS traffic was also observed following Apple’s support for the standard in iOS 18.

MessageFlow’s Product Owner for Conversational Channels & Push, Piotr Kudzior, has noted the significance of the update, stating that it is a major step forward for RCS since Apple’s adoption of the standard. The market is maturing rapidly, with RCS penetration surpassing WhatsApp in some segments in Europe, particularly in Germany.