Apple first brought support for RCS in its Messages app with the roll out of iOS 18 back in September 2024. However, this feature came with a critical loophole – it didn’t support end-to-end encryption, which is considered the gold standard for safeguarding communications in the digital world. Now, almost two years after introducing the feature, Apple is finally about to close this loophole with the release of iOS 26.5.
But what is RCS and why does end-to-end encryption matter?
For the unversed, RCS or Rich Communication Services is an internet protocol-based upgrade to traditional SMS and MMS. It’s a service provided by telecom service providers wherein your smartphone when connected to your mobile network communicates with your network provider and their partners to set up RCS. Essentially, RCS messages work by using your mobile data or Wi-Fi connection to share messages.
With RCS, you can share high-resolution photos, files, videos, and audio messages without worrying about file size limits, know when your message has been read with read receipts, see when the other person is typing a message with typing indicators and even create and manage group chats – something you can’t do with traditional SMS and MMS.
Coming to encryption, end-to-end encryption protects messages shared via RCS from being intercepted and read by anyone in the digital space, including malicious hackers. It’s the same encryption that Meta uses to secure WhatsApp conversations. RCS messages have supported end-to-end encryption via the Google Messages app since 2020. However, Apple’s Messages app doesn’t support end-to-end encryption in RCS messages even as messages shared via iMessages remain encrypted. But this is about to change with the roll out of iOS 26.5. iMessages are the messages shared between two Apple device users in the Messages app.
RCS encryption is coming to iPhones – finally!
Apple has released the iOS 26.5 RC (release candidate). In the release notes for this update, the company, as per reports, has confirmed that the iOS 26.5 will bring support for end-to-end encryption for RCS messages in its Messages app, which in turn would secure all messages shared via app.
The only caveat is that both the sender and the receiver should have turned on the RCS functionality on their Apple and Android devices for this feature to work.
Availability
Apple has released iOS 26.5 to the developers. The update should be available to the general public sometime later this month.
