Apple starts testing end-to-end RCS encryption on iPhone, but without Android support
Source: 9to5Google
Apple’s latest iOS 26.4 beta is now available for iPhone owners, and it introduces testing for end‑to‑end encryption (E2EE) in RCS messaging. The feature is not shipping in this release and will arrive later for certain devices and carriers.
Testing end‑to‑end encryption in RCS
Apple’s release notes state:
RCS end‑to‑end encryption is now available for testing in this beta. This feature is not shipping in this release and will be available to customers in a future software update for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. End‑to‑end encryption is in beta and is not available for all devices or carriers. Conversations labeled as encrypted are encrypted end‑to‑end, so messages can’t be read while they’re sent between devices. In this beta, RCS encryption is available for testing between Apple devices and is not yet testable with other platforms.
The key limitation is that Android devices are not supported in the current test. Apple notes that cross‑platform testing is “not yet testable,” suggesting it may be added in future updates.
Context and background
- RCS has been a primary method for iPhone‑to‑Android communication, with iMessage handling iPhone‑to‑iPhone chats and SMS as a fallback.
- Apple previously criticized the RCS specification for lacking strong encryption when it announced support in 2023.
- In 2024, Google confirmed that encryption between RCS messages on iPhone and Android was in the pipeline.
- The GSMA added end‑to‑end encryption to the RCS standard about a year ago.
- Google introduced its own E2EE on top of RCS back in 2020 and plans to adopt the updated standard moving forward.
Further reading
- iOS 26.4 beta 1: Here’s everything new
- iOS 26.4 beta adds new ‘Playlist Playground’ AI feature for Apple Music
- iOS 26.4 will activate key theft prevention feature on all iPhones
- Apple Podcasts app gaining ‘enhanced video podcast experience’ in iOS 26.4