Apple begins testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messages on iPhone

Apple is Start testing RCS messages are end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) with the developer beta of iOS 26.4 released on Monday. Apple last year announced plans to support the feature, and once fully available, it will allow iPhone and Android users to send encrypted RCS messages to each other across platforms.

However, with this initial implementation, Apple is only testing RCS encryption between Apple devices. “It’s not yet testable with other platforms,” Apple says. The company also doesn’t plan to ship E2EE RCS messaging with iOS 26.4; Apple says the feature will actually ship to the public in a “future update.”

RCS messages It improves significantly Experience texting between iPhone and Android devices, but cross-platform encryption was a big thing missing. The GSM Association, which is helping to develop the RCS, was announced in September 2024 It was working on E2EE messaging as part of the “next major milestone” for the global RCS profile, Apple said In March 2025 It will support E2EE RCS messaging on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in “future software updates.”