## End-to-End Encryption Arrives for RCS Messaging This week's release of **iOS 26.5** by **Apple** brings long-awaited end-to-end encryption to Rich Communication Services (RCS). This means that conversations between **Android** and **iPhone** users using their default chat applications will now be encrypted. With this update, conversations between **Apple's** Messages app and **Google** Messages on **Android** will be end-to-end encrypted by default. This is contingent on carrier support for both RCS and encrypted messages. You can find a list of supporting carriers on **Apple's** website. RCS messages, which serve as a replacement for SMS, were first supported by **Apple** in 2024, significantly improving the quality of shared media between **Android** and **iPhone** devices. Now, these conversations will also benefit from enhanced privacy and security through end-to-end encryption. This ensures that neither **Google**, **Apple**, nor cellular carriers can access the message content. This functionality is enabled by both **Apple** and **Google's** support for the **GSMA RCS Universal Profile 3.0**, which implements the Messaging Layer Security protocol for encryption. It's important to note that metadata will likely still be collected and stored for these conversations. For highly sensitive communications, alternatives like **Signal** remain a stronger option. Additionally, cloud backups of these conversations might be stored unencrypted unless **Advanced Data Protection** is enabled on **iOS**. While **Google** Messages end-to-end encrypts the text of messages in backups, it doesn't encrypt the media. A similar offering like ADP on **Android** would be a welcome enhancement. Despite these limitations, this update represents a substantial improvement in the privacy of countless conversations globally. ## Beta Status and Rollout End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging is currently marked as beta on **Apple** devices. The rollout depends on carrier support and the **Android** phone running the latest version of **Google** Messages. It may take some time for this feature to become available in your chats. Until it does, remember that your conversations are not protected with end-to-end encryption. Once everyone in the conversation is using the correct software version *and* carrier support is implemented, a lock icon and the text “Encrypted” will appear at the top of the conversation for RCS chats, as shown below:  We commend **Apple** and **Google** for achieving this milestone and finally Encrypting It Already! More companies should emulate these challenging but essential steps to safeguard the privacy of our conversations and data.