Apple finally brings end-to-end encryption to RCS on iPhone

The latest iOS 26.5 beta introduces secure cross-platform messaging between iPhone and Android users with a new lock icon.

Apple has announced that it has begun rolling out end-to-end encrypted RCS messages in beta for iPhone users running iOS 26.5 with supported carriers and Android users on the latest version of Google Messages. When encrypted, these messages can’t be read while they’re sent between devices.

When messages are encrypted, users will be able to see a new lock icon in their RCS chats. By default, encryption will be switched on automatically and enabled over time for new and existing RCS conversations.

As a bit of background, RCS stands for Rich Communication Services and replaces SMS. While it has been on Android devices for a very long time, it only arrived on iOS in 2024, with Apple clinging onto its own proprietary messaging technologies in iMessage.

It its announcement, Apple said that it has led a cross-industry effort with Google to bring E2E encryption to RCS, making it a more secure and private option when compared to traditional SMS. It also said that iMessage has been built with privacy in mind and remains the best way to communicate between Apple devices.

To use E2E RCS, Apple says you must be on iOS 26.5 and using a support carrier, which you can see a complete list of here. Apple has not said when this feature will graduate from beta, but if you want to start using it you will need to install iOS 26.5 by going to the Settings and checking for device updates.

Let us know in the comments what you think of this development. iPhone users, do you use iMessage or do you prefer to use a different messaging client?

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Posted Tuesday 12 May 2026 at 5:30 pm AEST (my time).

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