Apple Adds End-to-End Encryption for iPhone-Android RCS Messages in iOS 26.5

Apple has rolled out a major security upgrade for cross-platform texting with the release of iOS 26.5, which now includes end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between iPhones and Android devices. This marks a significant milestone in closing a long-standing security gap in mainstream messaging, allowing iPhone and Android users to exchange texts, photos, videos, and group chats with the same level of privacy protection that previously only existed within each platform's ecosystem.

For years, iMessage has offered end-to-end encryption for conversations between iPhone users, while Google separately built encryption into Google Messages for Android. However, messages sent between the two platforms remained unencrypted, leaving cross-platform communication vulnerable despite being richer than basic SMS. The new capability, which is available in iOS 26.5, finally brings that missing layer of security to default texting without requiring users to switch to third-party apps like Signal or WhatsApp.

The breakthrough came possible after the GSM Association, which oversees the RCS protocol, introduced a standard for interoperable encryption through RCS Universal Profile 3.0. This gave Apple, Google, and carriers a common technical framework for implementing secure messaging across different ecosystems. Apple announced last year that it would bring this encryption feature in future software updates, and it began testing the technology in February as part of iOS 26.4, though the company clarified at that time that an official rollout would come later.

The encryption feature is enabled by default in iOS 26.5 and will display a lock icon in the Messages app when conversations with Android devices are using the protection. iPhone users can confirm the setting is active under the RCS Messaging menu in the Messages section of their device settings. On the Android side, encrypted chats to iOS devices will appear the same way Google Messages displays encrypted RCS conversations with other Android users. However, the feature remains in beta and requires compatible carrier support on both the iPhone and Android sides for it to function.

Users upgrading to iOS 26.5 should note that the feature's availability depends on their wireless carrier's support for encrypted RCS. The rollout will occur gradually over time rather than all at once. For Android users, the latest version of Google Messages is required to take advantage of the encryption when messaging iPhone users. By bringing end-to-end encryption to default texting across platforms, Apple and Google are addressing what has been one of the biggest weaknesses in mainstream communication for smartphone users—the lack of secure cross-device messaging in apps people already use every day.