RCS messages between Android and iPhone is about to get more secure

For the longest time ever, Apple held out on adopting RCS for its iPhones. That changed with the rollout of iOS 18, but one key feature missing is encryption. The good news is that Google is already working on it where they are looking to bring end-to-end encryption for RCS messages sent between Android and iPhone devices.

In an announcement made by the GSMA, it was revealed that encryption features are being worked on. As it stands, Google Messages on Android already supports end-to-end encryption for RCS messages, both for 1:1 conversations and group chats. It is similar to Apple’s iMessage platform which also has encryption.

However, RCS messages sent between iPhone and Android devices do not support it, but this upcoming change will address it. End-to-end encryption is an important security feature. While it doesn’t necessarily prevent messages from being intercepted, what it does is that even if a message is intercepted, its contents cannot be read.

According to Elmar Weber, a general manager at Google, ““We believe that E2EE is a critical component of secure messaging, and we have been working with the broader ecosystem to bring cross-platform E2EE to RCS chats as soon as possible. Google is committed to providing a secure and private messaging experience for users, and we remain dedicated to making E2EE standard for all RCS users regardless of the platform.”