Vibes’ annual Mobile Consumer Insights report also finds that 81% of consumers think RCS messaging is even better – pointing the way to an explosive 2026 for mobile commerce
Vibes, the mobile-first engagement platform and North American RCS messaging leader, has announced the findings from its ninth annual comprehensive Mobile Consumer Insights survey for 2026.
Every year, Vibes surveys a broad range of over 1,100 mobile-centric consumers with the intention of understanding what their relationship with their smartphones looks like today; how this has changed over multiple years; how they prefer to interact with brands on their phones, and how these interactions impact their path to purchase.
Key findings in 2026 include:
78% of consumers say they have made a direct purchase from a brand’s SMS or MMS text message (up from 75% last year), with 65% having done so within the past year
81% of consumers showed a marked preference for RCS messaging over SMS
Consumers now prefer redeeming offers via text message more than email and apps – with 41% preferring text, 39% email, and only 20% via a brand’s mobile app.
This is the first time in Vibes’ nine annual surveys that text messaging has surpassed email.
Vibes’ survey also illuminates just how rapidly mobile wallets for coupons, offers and loyalty cards have gone mainstream over the past three years.
Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Haley Trost, Group Product Marketing Manager @ Braze
76% of consumers now say they are “much more likely” to engage with brands that provide a mobile wallet option for offers & coupons, which is up from 60% in 2025. 75% of consumers also said they are much more likely to engage with a brand that offers a mobile wallet loyalty card, up from 57% in 2025.
This growing adoption of mobile messaging and digital wallets clearly opens an opportunity for brands looking to drive more foot traffic, given 98% open rates for SMS, MMS and RCS. Moreover, the excitement speaks to the ability to directly attribute the ROI that a digital wallet drives for their business.
Marketing Technology News: Cross-Department Collaboration with Marketing Workflow Automation: Enhancing Alignment Between Sales, Customer Service, and Marketing Teams
Tellingly for 2026 message trends, 81% of consumers even showed a marked preference for RCS messaging over SMS, with particular enthusiasm shown for RCS product carousels, and the high-quality images & video visuals available within RCS messages.
“These results tell us that the shift away from mobile apps for transactions is accelerating”, said Alex Campbell, Vibes’ Co-Founder & CIO. “RCS will only accelerate this faster. Any brand that uses messaging will be well-positioned to shift their focus away from their app, and into the surging RCS messaging and mobile wallet channels.”
Write in to psen@itechseries.com to learn more about our exclusive editorial packages and programs.