Apple and Google have flipped the switch on end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging, starting today in beta. iPhone users on iOS 26.5 and Android users on the latest Google Messages will start seeing a lock icon in RCS chats when encryption is active. It’s the first time a cross-platform text conversation between iPhone and Android has had this level of protection.
What It Looks Like
When a chat is encrypted, a lock icon shows up in the RCS thread. No setup required on your end. Apple says encryption is on by default and will enable itself automatically for both new and existing RCS conversations as the rollout expands. The one caveat is that both people in the conversation need to be on a carrier that supports it, and Apple hasn’t published that list yet. It’s a beta, so expect more carriers to come online over time.
Apple and Google Worked on This Together
This wasn’t Apple going it alone. The feature is the result of Apple and Google pushing the GSMA, the standards body behind RCS, to add encryption to the spec itself. That matters because it means the encryption works at the protocol level, not as a layer on top. Any app or carrier supporting the standard gets it, without needing a separate agreement between the two companies.
Apple also made a point of keeping iMessage in its own lane. The company notes that iMessage has always been end-to-end encrypted and is still the best way to communicate between Apple devices. Encrypted RCS fills the gap for iPhone-to-Android conversations where iMessage was never an option.
Why This Took So Long
Regular SMS and basic RCS have always been readable by carriers in transit. Security researchers have flagged this for years, especially as SMS became a common target for interception attacks. Getting encryption into RCS required buy-in from carriers, device makers, and standards bodies, which is why it took until 2026 to get here. The fact that Apple and Google got there together, using a shared open standard, is the part that makes it stick.