RCS conversations between iPhone and Android users finally get end-to-end encryption in iOS 26.5, closing a security gap that has existed since Apple adopted the messaging standard in 2024.
Apple confirmed the feature in the iOS 26.5 release candidate rolling out to testers this week. The RC changelog lists "End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging (beta) in Messages" as available with supported carriers, rolling out over time.
Apple's Senior Engineering Manager Emad Omara noted on X that interoperable E2EE RCS ships with this update.
Encryption is enabled by default. Users can find the toggle under Settings, Apps, Messages, then RCS Messaging. When active, a lock icon with "Encrypted" appears in the chat interface, per 9to5Google. On the Android side, Google Messages conversations with iOS users will display the same encryption indicators as Android-to-Android encrypted RCS chats. The feature works across Apple's ecosystem. iPadOS 26.5, macOS Tahoe 26.5, and watchOS 26.5 all support it, putting cross-platform conversations on par with iMessage-to-iMessage encryption.
Both sender and receiver must use a carrier supporting the latest RCS version for encryption to work.
Apple worked with the GSM Association to implement E2EE as part of RCS Universal Profile 3.0, published with Apple's help and built on the Messaging Layer Security protocol. The GSMA added support for cross-platform E2EE last year, and Apple pledged at the time to bring it in a future update.
Apple began testing the feature in iOS 26.4 developer betas but restricted it to iPhone-to-iPhone conversations. Beta 2 expanded it to Android chats, though Apple made clear it wouldn't ship with the stable release. The feature returned in iOS 26.5 betas and is now reaching the finish line.
Apple still labels encrypted RCS messaging as "beta" in the release notes, despite shipping it to stable. The company says the feature works only on certain carriers and devices.
Encrypted messages will be labeled so users know when their chats have protection. A stable iOS 26.5 release is expected for all users next week, roughly a week after the RC landed. Apple typically releases iOS updates about seven days after pushing a release candidate.
