The arrival of end-to-end encryption in RCS messages between iOS and Android It's a little closer. Apple has begun to activate this protection in a limited way in the second beta of iOS 26.4, a significant step towards making conversations between iPhone and Android users less reliant on old SMS messages and more private.
So far, The security of cross-platform chats was only partially achievediMessage has been encrypted between iPhones for years, and Android's RCS encryption was also protected within the Google ecosystem, but direct communication between the two remained the weak link. With the latest tests, Apple is beginning to close this gap, although there's still a way to go before it reaches the general public.
What exactly is Apple testing with iOS 26.4 beta?
With the Second developer beta of iOS 26.4Apple has enabled testing of end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging between iPhone and Android. The company explains in the update notes that "conversations marked as encrypted are end-to-end encrypted, so they cannot be read while being sent between devices."
For those who have this beta installed, Apple has enabled a new section in the system settings. On an iPhone with iOS 26.4 beta 2, you can go to Settings > Messages > RCS Messaging and check the "End-to-end encryption (beta)" option, which is generally enabled by default.
The company has also updated some visual details of the Messages app. When an RCS chat is protected with end-to-end encryption, a padlock icon appears. in the conversation thread, something that Android users will also see in Google Messages when the connection between devices meets all the requirements.
A commitment that comes after the GSMA specifications
Apple's move didn't come out of nowhere. About a year agoThe company confirmed that it planned to bring end-to-end encryption to RCS messages following the publication by the GSMA, of the specifications necessary to ensure this standard with modern technologies such as MLS (Message Layer Security).
These guidelines from the mobile industry, closely linked to Europe through major operators and the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ​​pave the way for RCS could become the real replacement for SMS and MMSNot only for functionality, but also for security. Apple's decision meant aligning itself with a standard driven globally by operators and manufacturers, something that is being viewed with particular interest in Europe due to its impact on interoperability.
Since last summer, signs of this work had been detected in the code of the iOS betas, where references to the integration of MLS, the same encryption system that Google uses in its Messages appWith iOS 26.4 beta 2, these clues have been transformed into a tangible feature, although still limited to a testing environment.
Apple emphasizes in the developer documentation that End-to-end encryption in RCS will not be part of the final version of iOS 26.4This is a feature under development that will arrive "in future versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS 26," which points to a phased rollout across the entire brand ecosystem.
How RCS changes communication between iPhone and Android
The standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) It's conceived as the natural evolution of SMS and MMS. It allows you to send high-resolution photos and videos, see when the other person is typing, receive read receipts, and create more dynamic chats without relying on third-party applications, bringing it closer to what's already available on WhatsApp or Telegram.
Google incorporated RCS compatibility in your Messages app has been in place for three years.And since then, it has been refining the experience and encryption within the Android universe. Apple, for its part, took a little longer to take the plunge: it wasn't until iOS 18.1 that it introduced official support for RCS on the iPhone, including features such as write indicators and read receipts between iOS and Android users.
However, the most delicate part remained: the total security of messages exchanged between both platformsWhile iMessage had been encrypting conversations between iPhones since 2011, messages with Android contacts still appeared as green bubbles and, above all, did not enjoy the same level of protection, something that had become a reason for public criticism and even the subject of antitrust investigations in the United States.
With the new end-to-end encryption for RCS in testing, the idea is that The protection should be consistent regardless of the recipient's device.In this way, a user in Spain with an iPhone should be able to talk to another person using Android in any European country, with the same privacy guarantee that iMessage already offers between iPhones.
It is worth remembering that, despite this progress, Third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp or Signal have long offered encrypted channels between iOS and Android.The goal of RCS is not to replace them overnight, but to reinforce the basic messaging layer that comes integrated by default in all mobile phones and that depends on the operators' network.
Current limitations, operators involved, and next steps
In this initial phase, end-to-end encryption in RCS is restricted to the iOS 26.4 developer beta The latest version of Google Messages is already in testing. Furthermore, not all telecom operators support it yet, which is especially relevant in markets like Europe, where RCS adoption depends on agreements with large groups such as Telefónica, Orange, Vodafone, or Deutsche Telekom.
Apple acknowledges that, during the testing period, The feature is not available on all devices or all networksThe company appears willing to wait until the operator ecosystem is ready for wider adoption before activating encryption across the board for end users.
This approach fits with the company's usual strategy, which typically involves testing sensitive functions related to security and privacy before launching them globally. In this case, it must also coordinate with Google and the mobile industry itself to ensure that the encrypted RCS standard works equally well on both sides of the conversation.
Looking at the short and medium term, Apple has made it clear that its intention is Extend RCS end-to-end encryption beyond the iPhoneThis will also extend to iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS 26. This would allow messages sent from a Mac or Apple Watch to Android phones to enjoy the same level of protection as those initiated from an iPhone.
Meanwhile, Google continues to fine-tune RCS encryption compatibility with iOS from Android, currently also in beta. In practice, Both companies are converging towards a more secure and interoperable basic messaging model., driven both by user demands and by the regulatory framework, which is especially strict regarding data protection in the European Union.
Overall, the progressive deployment of end-to-end encryption in RCS messages between iOS and Android It points to a scenario in which text conversations integrated into the operating system itself will be much more private and functional than the old SMS/MMS, allowing users in Europe and the rest of the world to communicate with greater peace of mind, without always having to depend on a single messaging application to keep their most sensitive chats safe.
