Encrypted RCS texting between iPhone and Android is coming soon
Support for end-to-end encryption for texts between iPhone and Android is coming soon via the latest Rich Communication Services (RCS) 3.0 protocol.
Apple has confirmed that it’ll support the latest RCS 3.0 protocol for secure messaging between iPhone and Android owners via end-to-end encryption. The Cupertino company will bring support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging in the built-in Messages app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch with future updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS.
No timeline has been provided, but the company will almost certainly roll out RCS 3.0 support starting with iOS 19.0 this fall. Apple officially confirmed it will support end-to-end encryption, one of the key features in RCS 3.0. However, it hasn’t revealed what other new RCS 3.0 features it might adopt or when.
RCS end-to-end encryption coming to iPhone and Android
At least we now know, thanks to Apple’s spokesperson Shane Bauer, who sent the following statement to the press that iPhone and Android owners will soon be able to exchange RCS messages that are end-to-end encrypted:
“End-to-end encryption is a powerful privacy and security technology that iMessage has supported since the beginning, and now we are pleased to have helped lead a cross-industry effort to bring end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile published by the GSMA. We will add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS in future software updates.”
This means Apple is going to adopt the new RCS 3.0 specification, which includes support for end-to-end encrypted messaging. RCS 3.0 and RCS 2.7 (which Apple didn’t have the time to implement in iOS 18.0 because the specification was finalized in July 2024) include other perks that the Cupertino company will likely adopt.
These include features like inline replies, the ability to edit or unsend messages and support for emoji reactions, ensuring that Tapback reactions in the Messages app are properly conveyed on Android, and vice versa.
The GSM Alliance officially announced on March 14, 2025, that it developed the new RCS Universal Profile 3.0 specification in collaboration with mobile operators, device manufacturers and technology providers, including Apple.
iOS 18 supports the older RCS 2.4 standard
Apple implemented RCS messaging with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and macOS 15 in 2024 by adopting the RCS Universal Profile 2.4. These software updates improved the texting experience between iPhone and Android owners thanks to RCS 2.4 perks such as rest receipts, typing indicators, high-resolution media and enhanced group chatting inline replies.
iOS 18.1 and other related updates brought support for RCS Business Messaging (part of the RCS 2.4 specification) with features like branding and suggested replies. iOS 18.1 also shows RCS emoji reactions from Android owners instead in a separate line like before, and displays Tapbacks on Android correctly. However, the RCS 2.4 standard lacks a key feature: end-to-end encryption, which protects communications by garbling messages on devices and in transit.
In September 2024, the GSM Association said it would enable interoperable messaging encryption between different platform providers, based on the Messaging Layer Security protocol, to secure RCS chats between iPhone and Android owners.
RCS encryption in Google Messages
Google, the biggest RCS backer, will also benefit from RCS 3.0. The search giant currently supports end-to-end encryption for RCS chats via a proprietary extension that only works between Google Messages users in the Google Messages app.
Message exchanges between Google Messages users and other RCS clients on Android and Google Messages users and iMessage users are not encrypted. RCS 3.0 will solve this by enabling support for interoperable encryption between different platform providers for the first time.
“We’ve always been committed to providing a secure messaging experience, and Google Messages users have had end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging for years,” said a Google spokesperson. “We’re excited to have this updated specification from GSMA and work as quickly as possible with the mobile ecosystem to implement and extend this important user protection to cross-platform RCS messaging.”
With end-to-end encryption, no one can decipher and view your texts as they travel between your device and the device you message, including platform providers, technology providers, cell carriers and messaging services.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/03/17/apple-iphone-rcs-end-to-end-encryption-google-android/
Leave a Reply