Apple Drops RCS Encryption From iOS 27 Beta 1 as Feature Remains in iOS 26.5
Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · Jun 9
Apple Drops RCS Encryption From iOS 27 Beta 1 as Feature Remains in iOS 26.5
2 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Jun 9
Summary
iOS 27 developer beta 1 omits the RCS end-to-end encryption option, leaving early testers without the lock-labeled protection added to Apple’s Messages app.
Apple appears to have lost the feature in a normal major-version branch, where some 26.x changes can miss the first beta before returning in later builds.
iOS 26.5 introduced RCS end-to-end encryption through work with Google and the GSMA, while iMessage chats have long been encrypted by default.
For now, users who need encrypted iPhone-Android RCS chats are better off staying on iOS 26.5, where support is on by default when both carriers allow it.