SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, South Korea's three mobile carriers, said on Tuesday they have switched iPhone RCS business messaging to a full service.

RCS is a messaging service that can send longer text or transfer high-resolution files than conventional SMS and MMS. In South Korea, RCS had been supported only on the Android operating system, but it has been available on iOS since last year.

The three carriers launched an open beta service for business messaging along with a full personal RCS service after the iOS26 update in September last year. They said they checked and optimised the safety and compatibility of RCS business messaging and switched it to a full service. Customers using iOS26 or later on iPhone 11 series and newer models can use the service.

The full version has improved the iPhone RCS business messaging environment. Previously, long-form messages sent by companies were shown in an abbreviated form, reducing readability, but for text-only messages without buttons, longer content is now delivered in full.

It also allows iPhone users to check a "brand profile" when receiving messages sent by companies. When a company registers its brand with an RCS business center, the brand logo is automatically displayed when messages are sent. This is expected to help prevent smishing crimes.

RCS business messaging also allows companies to check customer response statistics such as whether a message was clicked. Using image template products that can be operated at a reasonable cost compared with conventional text services, small and medium-sized enterprises and startups can use various images needed for marketing without burden.

RCS business messaging can be sent not only to users of the three carriers but also to customers of MVNOs. Customers can receive messages even while roaming. The number of RCS users in South Korea now stands at 42 million.

The three carriers said, "Through the switch of iPhone RCS business messaging to a full service, we have been able to provide a reliable messaging environment for both customers and companies." They added, "We will continue to improve customer experience with innovative telecommunications technology and services."