Google Messages Adds End-to-End Encrypted RCS for iPhones on iOS 26.5
Updated
Updated · 9to5Google · May 16
Google Messages Adds End-to-End Encrypted RCS for iPhones on iOS 26.5
10 articles · Updated · 9to5Google · May 16
May 11’s iOS 26.5 update enabled end-to-end encrypted RCS between Android and iPhone users, letting Google Messages show its usual lock icon in cross-platform chats.
Apple said encrypted RCS will turn on automatically over time for new and existing conversations, but only on supported carriers and with the latest Google Messages version.
In Apple’s Messages app, encrypted threads are labeled “Text Message · RCS | Encrypted,” signaling that messages cannot be read by intermediaries while in transit.
The change marks a notable expansion of RCS interoperability, extending Google Messages’ encrypted chat protections beyond Android-to-Android conversations.
With E2EE for RCS now live, what is the biggest remaining privacy risk when texting between Android and iPhone users?
Now that texts between iPhones and Androids are encrypted, will the infamous 'green bubble' finally lose its social stigma?
As universal encryption becomes a standard feature, how will messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal stay competitive?