Check RCS Device & Carrier Capabilities Before Sending

Check whether a destination number supports RCS before you send. The new RCS Capability Check API returns device and carrier readiness for a single number or a bulk list, so you can route to the richest available channel on the first attempt.

What's new

• RCS Capability Check API: Query a single phone number or a list of up to 100 numbers and receive a response indicating whether the device is RCS-enabled, whether the carrier supports RCS, and which RCS features are available (rich cards, media, suggested actions).

Why it matters

• Without capability data, RCS campaigns default to send-and-see, generating unnecessary fallback traffic and added cost per failed attempt.
• Checking capabilities in advance means you send RCS to supported devices and fall back to SMS or MMS only when needed, improving delivery success on the first try.
• Google RBM has known variability in capability reporting (e.g., offline devices may not surface as RCS-enabled), so proactively checking helps you account for edge cases rather than discovering them after a failed send.

Example use cases

• A retail brand running RCS campaigns can pre-filter their contact list and send rich cards only to RCS-capable numbers, reducing fallback volume and cost.
• A healthcare provider sending appointment reminders can check capabilities first and automatically route to SMS when RCS is unavailable, ensuring delivery without manual intervention.

Getting started

1. Follow the quickstart guide to set up capability checks.
2. Call the API with an agent ID and destination number to retrieve RCS readiness data.
3. Use the response to route messages to RCS, SMS, or MMS based on the supported features.

Learn more in the RCS Capabilities docs.