Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
ZDNET's key takeaways
Encrypted text messages may finally reach iPhone users with iOS 26.
Code in the beta version of iOS 26 reveals strings for RCS encryption.
With encryption, texts between iOS and Android will be more secure.
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With the release of iOS 18 in 2024, iPhone users were finally able to exchange rich text messages with their Android counterparts. However, one important feature has been missing -- encryption. Now, this year's new flavor of iOS may finally add that crucial security aspect to the mix.
Currently in beta ahead of its expected public release next month, iOS 26 contains code that points to end-to-end encryption in text exchanges between iOS and Android. As analyzed by the folks at Android Authority, the code contains two strings, one of which mentions RCS Encryption Enabled and the other RCS Encryption Opt-in Test Enabled.
Also: Why Apple's RCS encryption move is a privacy game-changer for your texts
RCS, or Rich Communication Service, is a messaging standard released by Google a few years ago. Designed to replace SMS messaging, RCS is a more modern standard that can handle richer content.
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