RCS Messaging Between iPhone and Android Could Soon Get End-to-End Encryption

When it comes to cross-platform RCS (Rich Communication Services), chats are not protected by end-to-end encryption (E2EE). This means high-quality media sharing between Android and iPhone users is missing out on the robust security protocol. It looks like the stable version of iOS 26 will finally break this barrier through the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol.

Apple is testing end-to-end encryption for cross-platform RCS Messaging

With iOS 18, Apple finally opened doors for RCS texting on iPhones, enabling cross-platform messaging between iOS and Android devices to take advantage of the modern communication service. However, without end-to-end encryption, these RCS conversations are still less secure than other encrypted apps like WhatsApp. In case you are unfamiliar, E2EE ensures that only the sender and receiver can see the content of a conversation.

Earlier this year, GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) adopted Universal Profile 3.0. This brings end-to-end encryption based on the MLS protocol, paving the way for Apple and Google to offer secure RCS messaging. While Google Messages has already integrated MLS encryption, Apple said it will add support in future software updates.

While digging through the iOS 26 betas, folks over at Android Authority discovered code related to end-to-end encryption. This suggests Apple is testing MLS encryption and may bundle it with the upcoming final version of iOS 26, expected in mid-September 2025. However, there is also a possibility that the company may push the support with iOS 26.1 or even iOS 27, so do not get too excited just yet.

Furthermore, if you were hoping that Apple would pack all the features from Universal Profile 3.0, we have bad news for you. The publication says it may not add popular features like group icons and mentions. It looks like the company plans to keep its cross-platform RCS messaging implementation minimal while offering just end-to-end encryption. We will learn more about this in the coming months.