Table of Contents:
The usual way to evaluate a messaging platform is to book a demo, watch someone else's screen, imagine how it would look for your brand, and then you wait for a proposal.
Did you know there's a faster way? With a free nativeMsg account, you can build a branded RCS experience and see it on your own phone in minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no sales call with us. This post walks through exactly how to do it and what to test while you're there.
Can you try RCS for business without talking to sales?
Yes. nativeMsg's free plan gives you:
- One branded RCS agent in test mode, with your logo and name
- Unlimited messages to up to 5 registered test devices
- The full visual builder, campaigns, journeys, conversational AI, and API
There's no time limit, so you can keep building until you're ready to launch.
How do you set up a free RCS test in minutes?
1. Create your free account. Sign up with your work email. You won't be asked for a card.
2. Brand your agent. Add your logo and business name. This is the verified identity your customers will eventually see in their messaging app instead of an unknown number, so it's worth seeing on a real screen early.
3. Register your phone as a test device. Your phone is tester number one. Most Android phones and recent iPhones support RCS. If you're not sure about yours, here's how to check if your phone has RCS messaging.
4. Describe the experience you want. Open ExperienceAI and write what you want in plain language. For example: "Greet the customer, ask for their order number, show delivery updates, then offer support." ExperienceAI builds the flow with image cards, quick-reply buttons, branching, and a handoff to your team. Every step stays fully editable in the visual builder.
5. Send it and tap through it. Your phone buzzes, and there's your brand in the thread. Tap the buttons, swipe the carousel, and try the path a customer would take.
What should you test on inbound and outbound flows?
A good free test covers both directions, because that's how customers will actually meet your brand.
Inbound: how customers start the conversation. The free plan includes a QR code and launch link for every experience. Print the QR code, scan it from across the room, and see what happens when a customer starts the conversation on their own. This is the moment that usually goes to a landing page, and what should happen after the ad click matters more than most brands realize. Test the consent capture step too, since opt-in happens inside the flow.
Outbound: how you reach customers. Build a campaign and send it to your test devices. Try a drip flow, schedule a send, or run an A/B test between two versions of the same offer. Good first tests are the messages you already send today, like an appointment reminder, a delivery update, or a limited-time offer.
Things to look for on the screen:
- Does your logo and name read clearly in the thread?
- Do the buttons make the next step obvious?
- How many taps does it take to finish the task?
- Would a customer trust this message more than a plain text from a random number?
Who else should see it?
You can have five test devices, so use them. Send the experience to your manager, your CMO, or whoever signs off on channel decisions. A working experience on their own phone does more than any slide deck, and it turns a "maybe later" into a real conversation about launch.
What does the free plan not include?
The free plan is built for building and testing. A few things unlock when you launch:
- Sending to real customers (free is test devices only)
- Click-to-message entry points from ads and search
To reach real customers, your brand goes through carrier verification. That takes a few weeks for a branded RCS agent, plus a few days for a regular 10-digit fallback number that carries SMS and MMS to devices that can't receive RCS.
Nothing you build is thrown away. Your experiences, campaigns, and test devices all carry over when you upgrade, and your test devices become your first subscribers.
Frequently asked questions
Is the free plan a trial?
No. It has no time limit. You only pay when you launch the channel to real customers.
Do I need a developer to try it?
Nope! ExperienceAI and the visual builder are no-code. If you want to test the API and webhooks, those are included too.
What if a customer's phone doesn't support RCS?
Once you launch, nativeMsg detects what each device can receive and sends the message as SMS or MMS when RCS isn't available. About 90% of the US is RCS capable today.
Can I test more than one brand?
The free plan includes one agent in test mode. Paid plans allow up to five agents in test mode at once.
See it for yourself
Reading about a branded conversation isn't the same as tapping through one. Build your first experience and have it on your phone in minutes, free.