Apple and Google Implement End-to-End Encryption for RCS Messages Between iOS and Android

Apple and Google have implemented end-to-end encryption for RCS messages sent between iOS and Android devices. The update, introduced in iOS 26.5, will allow iPhone and Android users with Google Messages to exchange encrypted messages. Previously, such protection was only available within the companies' own messaging platforms—iMessage and Google Messages.

End-to-end encryption ensures that message content remains inaccessible to third parties, including carriers and platform developers. Enabling this feature for cross-platform RCS chats was made possible through Apple and Google’s collaboration under the GSMA RCS Universal Profile standard. Users will see a lock icon in chats to confirm encryption.

The rollout of the update will be gradual and take several months. Encryption will automatically apply to both new and existing RCS conversations. This solution addresses a long-standing security issue in messaging between iOS and Android, which had previously drawn criticism from cybersecurity experts.