Apple has announced that a future update will bring end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to RCS messages across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.
This means that, like iMessage—which has offered E2EE by default since 2011—messages exchanged between iPhones and Android devices will soon be encrypted for enhanced privacy and security. However, Apple has not yet provided a specific timeline for the rollout of encrypted RCS messaging.
Apple adopted the RCS messaging standard with iOS 18, improving interoperability with Android devices and introducing iMessage-like features such as read receipts and typing indicators.
“End-to-end encryption is a powerful privacy and security technology that iMessage has supported since the beginning, and now we are pleased to have helped lead a cross-industry effort to bring end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile published by the GSMA,” Apple said in a statement. “We will add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software updates.”
While Apple is enhancing security with encrypted RCS messaging, the Messages app will continue to support SMS as a fallback for cases where RCS or iMessage is unavailable. However, SMS messages remain unencrypted, lacking the same level of privacy and security.

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