Users of both iPhone and Android devices will soon achieve improved digital privacy through end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) RCS message exchanges. New security features arrive through the current Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard update that integrates the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol for encryption.
A New Era for Secure Messaging
The GSM Association announced through their announcement that E2EE security will now operate across mobile platforms provided by different companies. Users can now experience identical strong security features found in iMessage and WhatsApp when they exchange RCS messages between iPhone and Android devices.
Since its inception iMessage has provided its users with E2EE support under Apple’s long-standing privacy dedication. All previous RCS messaging implementations have suffered from poor encryption standards that exposed communication to interception.
Apple and Google Join Forces for Encryption
Apple officially joined the effort to standardize encrypted RCS messaging in September 2023. An Apple spokesperson, Shane Bauer, highlighted the company’s role in bringing E2EE to RCS, stating:
“End-to-end encryption is a powerful privacy and security technology that iMessage has supported since the beginning, and now we are pleased to have helped lead a cross-industry effort to bring end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile published by the GSMA.”
Apple confirmed that support for encrypted RCS messaging will be introduced in future updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.
Google’s Ongoing Push for Secure Messaging
Google supported E2EE in RCS messaging since its beginning but until recently encryption applied only when Google Messages users communicated with each other. Messages sent between Google Messages users and iPhone users or other RCS clients who operated Android remained without protection. Google Spokesperson Ed Fernandez declared Google’s commitment to security when he said:
“We’ve always been committed to providing a secure messaging experience, and Google Messages users have had end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging for years. We’re excited to have this updated specification from GSMA and work as quickly as possible with the mobile ecosystem to implement and extend this important user protection to cross-platform RCS messaging.”
When Will This Be Available?
The addition of RCS support for iPhones in iOS 18 during September came without encryption features because the industry lacks a single standardized method. This new feature will lead to encrypted RCS messaging implementation in future software releases although Apple has not specified when this will happen.
