End-to-End Encryption Coming for iPhone-to-Android RCS Messages

The GSM Association (GSMA), the organization responsible for developing the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard, announced on Tuesday that it is working to implement end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for messages sent between Android and iPhone devices, though no specific timeline for the implementation has been provided.

apple rcs thumb
The news comes on the heels of Apple's recent adoption of RCS with the launch of iOS 18, which replaced SMS with ‌RCS‌ messaging for texts sent to Android users. While the update brings improvements such as high-resolution media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators, it notably lacks end-to-end encryption.

GSMA technical director Tom Van Pelt said that the next milestone for ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile is the "first deployment of standardized, interoperable messaging encryption between different computing platforms." This move aims to bridge a significant gap in cross-platform messaging security.

Currently, not all ‌RCS‌ providers offer E2EE. Google Messages, which enabled E2EE by default for ‌RCS‌ conversations last year, is one of the exceptions. Apple's proprietary iMessage system also features E2EE, but this protection does not extend to ‌RCS‌ messages.

The implementation of E2EE for cross-platform ‌RCS‌ messages would prevent third parties, such as messaging services or cell carriers, from viewing the content of texts. This added layer of security would also prevent state surveillance of citizens' ‌RCS‌ communications.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Latest iPhone 17 Series CAD Images in Line With Redesign Rumors

Friday February 28, 2025 2:51 am PST by
Apple is expected to embrace a new camera system design for some models in its upcoming iPhone 17 series, and the latest purported CAD images don't deviate from what we have been hearing lately about Apple's new lineup. If you do not like the sound of an iPhone with a Google Pixel-style camera bar, look away now. Seasoned leaker Sonny Dickson shared the following images in a post on X...
iphone 16e usb c feature

Apple Provides Reason for iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 28, 2025 4:39 am PST by
Apple has offered a reason why the iPhone 16e doesn't include MagSafe, one of the more notable omissions from its latest entry-level smartphone. According to Apple representatives who spoke to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, MagSafe is not included in the iPhone 16e because "most people in the iPhone 16e's target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging...
apple intelligence black

These New Apple Intelligence Features Are Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday February 28, 2025 3:17 pm PST by
iOS 18.4 was supposed to bring new Apple Intelligence Siri features, but Apple ended up needing to pull those capabilities from the update to continue testing. There are fewer new Apple Intelligence additions now, but there are still some new features that will make the update worth installing when it comes out in April. Priority Notifications Apple introduced Priority Notifications back at ...
cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
apple c1

How Fast is Apple's First-Ever 5G Modem? The Results Are Surprising

Friday February 28, 2025 10:08 am PST by
iPhone 16e reviews are now out, and Apple's custom-designed C1 modem has been put to the test. The results so far are quite surprising, as the C1's speeds are not as slow compared to Qualcomm modems as originally expected. While the C1 does not support ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., it appears to offer comparable 5G performance to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X71 modem found in the iPhone 16,...

Top Rated Comments

jasonsmith_88 Avatar
24 weeks ago
Phone numbers as addresses are terrible. They are short-lived, with laws requiring telcos to recycle “inactive” phone numbers within a matter of months. They are easily stolen by bad actors. Caller IDs are easily spoofed. They cease to work overseas, unless you pay exorbitant roaming fees. They change if you move countries.

All of these problems were solved decades ago by superior technologies such as email. And yet the world still revolves around phone numbers. I can’t even book a bus trip without being forced to provide a phone number. Let alone open a bank account, where I lose access to my money if any of the numerous issues I posted above occurs.

The world needs to stop using phone numbers as identification.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
foobarbaz Avatar
24 weeks ago

isn't WhatsApp totally encrypted? and its cross platform?
Sure. But you need to agree to Meta's terms to use it.
A decentralized system like RCS is superior, IMO, but it's probably way too late.


The world needs to stop using phone numbers as identification.
I don't know about the world, but the US probably should stop issuing "regional" phone numbers to cell phones. In other countries you can keep your cell number for life.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcilwraith Avatar
24 weeks ago
isn't WhatsApp totally encrypted? and its cross platform?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
goobot Avatar
24 weeks ago
Do the carriers have to support it to work cause if so good luck with that
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brofkand Avatar
24 weeks ago

Pretty sure the lack of E2EE was one of the major reasons Apple wasn’t going to support it… but then some big country went and made it a requirement to support RCS.
No, they didn't support it because it is more reliable than SMS and gives a better user experience - and Apple doesn't want that. They use iMessage to build the walls around their garden 10 feet taller.

SMS is entirely plain text - at least RCS is encrypted in transit.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McWetty Avatar
24 weeks ago
It’s curious… why wasn’t E2EE part of RCS from the beginning?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)