Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR Apple has started testing end-to-end encrypted RCS in the first iOS 26.4 developer beta.
RCS encryption currently works only between iPhones, not between iPhone and Android.
Apple says full RCS E2EE will arrive in a future software update across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.
The long-awaited bridge between iPhone and Android security is finally starting to take shape, but for now, Apple is keeping the process limited to its own system.
With the first developer beta of iOS 26.4 rolling out this week, Apple has quietly activated early support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) in RCS (Rich Communication Services) within its Messages app. This is a big step because it brings Apple’s phone-number-based texting up to the same security level as Google’s RCS and Apple’s iMessage.
We first saw signs of this with the release of iOS 26.3 Beta 2, in which Apple added a new setting that would let carriers turn on encryption for RCS for secure communication between iPhone and Android. However, right now, that encryption only works between iPhones. You can turn on RCS E2EE in Settings and see the new padlock icon in chats, but it does not secure texts with Android devices yet.
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Since iOS 18.1, RCS has helped Apple offer richer, non-iMessage texting, including typing indicators, read receipts, and higher-quality media for green bubble chats. However, one major feature was missing: cross-platform encryption. Android devices have had secure RCS chats for some time, but Apple’s first version did not include end-to-end protection outside its own system.
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