Do you receive messages from a friend with an iPhone that say they "liked" your message? Instead of this reaction appearing as a thumbs up as it does on an iPhone, it appears as text. The top end-to-end encrypted messaging apps let you give and receive reactions like iMessage. Reacting to messages on Android text messaging requires activating RCS messaging. Short for Rich Chatting Service (RCS), RCS improves traditional SMS/MMS messaging with features like read receipts, typing indicators, and message reactions.

To get in on the fun, here's how to turn on RCS messaging on your Android phone and like a text message. The feature is available on all Android phones, including our favorite budget devices.

How to activate RCS messaging

RCS is often activated by default on newer Android phones, but you may need to activate it manually. You'll also need to ensure your messaging app is RCS-compatible. Most Android phones use Google Messages as the default messaging app, which we recommend using because of its array of valuable features.

We show you how to activate RCS messaging on the Google Messages and Samsung Messages apps.

How to activate RCS on Google Messages

  1. Tap your Profile icon in the upper-right corner.
  2. Tap Messages settings.
    A screenshot of the Google Messages homepage.
    A screenshot of account settings on Google Messages with "Messages Settings" highlighted.
  3. Open Chat features and turn on the toggle next to Enable chat features.
    A screenshot of a Google Messages chat Settings Page with "Chat features" highlighted.
    A screenshot of Google Messages Chat features showing the toggle for "Enable chat features."

How to activate RCS on Samsung Messages

  1. Tap the three-dot menu and open Settings.
    A screenshot showing the three-dot menu on Samsung Messages.
  2. Choose Chat settings and turn on the toggle next to Chat features.
    A screenshot showing the Chat settings option under Samsung Messages' settings.
    A screenshot showing the Chat features toggle option in the Chat settings on Samsung Messages.

Some smartphones may prompt you to turn on RCS chats from Google within your Samsung Messages. If this happens, tap Agree to turn on RCS chats.

How to like a text message on your phone

Now that you have turned on RCS messaging on your Android smartphone, you can like a text message or send message reactions.

  1. Open a message conversation thread in your Messages app.
  2. To like a message, press and hold a message.
    A screenshot showing a long-press action on a text message.
  3. A popup shows several message reactions.
  4. Select the thumbs-up reaction to like the message.
    A screenshot of an Android user choosing a like reaction for a text message.
    A screenshot showing a liked text message on Android in Google Messages.

How to change your text message reaction on Android

Apart from liking, you can choose and send any emoji as a message reaction. There are hundreds of supported emojis in RCS, giving you a variety of reactions to use as a response. You can even change your message reaction.

  1. Tap the like or another message reaction you sent to change a message reaction.
  2. Choose from the suggested reaction or tap the emoji+ button to access all the emojis.
    A screenshot showing tapping on an emoji reaction via RCS on Android.
    A screenshot showing someone choosing an emoji as reaction to a text message on Android.
  3. Tap the emoji you want to send as a reaction. Your original reaction is replaced with the new emoji.
    A screenshot showing all emoji reactions available in RCS on Android.
    A screenshot showing that a text message reaction has changed.

Communicate with ease, no matter the app

RCS chat is a great way to communicate between Android devices, but communicating with Apple devices becomes more complicated as its iMessage standard does not integrate well with RCS. Use one of the best messaging apps if you communicate regularly with Apple users.