Apple rolls out encrypted RCS messaging for iPhones
Updated
Updated · Forbes · May 9
Apple rolls out encrypted RCS messaging for iPhones
11 articles · Updated · Forbes · May 9
The beta feature arrives in iOS 26.5 next week, about 18 months after an FBI warning, but only on supported devices and carriers.
Apple says availability will expand over time, and cross-platform iPhone-Android chats may still lose end-to-end encryption depending on the networks in use.
That leaves iMessage, updated Google Messages, WhatsApp and Signal generally more consistently secure within their own systems than carrier-dependent RCS conversations.
Is Apple’s new encryption a true privacy win or a clever tactic to appease regulators and protect its iMessage dominance?
Will carrier-dependent encryption create a false sense of security, leaving users unsure if their chats are ever truly private?