Apple on Monday officially released iOS 26.5 in beta with support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for Rich Communications Services (RCS) as part of a “cross-industry effort” to replace traditional SMS with more secure alternatives.
To that end, E2EE RCS Messaging is rolling out to iPhone users running iOS 26.5 on supported carriers and Android users using the latest version of Google Messages. This feature is enabled by default for both new and existing conversations on both platforms.
RCS is a modern Internet-based messaging protocol that allows Android and iPhone users to send high-resolution photos and videos, see typing indicators, and receive read receipts. All these features are usually present in instant messaging apps. It is built on an industry specification called the RCS Universal Profile.
“When RCS messages are end-to-end encrypted, they cannot be read while in transit between devices,” Apple said in a statement. “Users will know their conversations are end-to-end encrypted when they see a new lock icon in their RCS chats.”
Apple began testing E2EE with RCS Messages in iOS and iPadOS 26.4 beta, but initially limited it to conversations between Apple devices. In early 2025, the GSM Association (GSMA) announced support for E2EE to secure messages sent via the RCS protocol.
Google said in a similar statement that users of Google Messages for Android will see a padlock icon to indicate that cross-platform conversations are end-to-end encrypted.
“This welcome progress is the result of close cross-industry collaboration between the GSMA RCS Working Group, including Apple, Google, and the broader mobile ecosystem,” said Alex Sinclair, GSMA Chief Technology Officer. “Importantly, new and secure services are delivered on an open and globally recognized foundation.”
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