Apple will finally enable encrypted RCS messages between iOS and Android, and it's about time

Secure cross-platform communication

News By Jamie Richards published 14 March 2025

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Tero Vesalainen)

• A new version of RCS is on the way that will allow encrypted messaging between iOS and Android
• Apple has previously never offered encrypted messaging outside the iMessage standard
• This follows Apple's adoption of unencrypted RCS last year

A new announcement from the GSM Association confirms Apple is bringing end-to-end encryption to RCS messaging on iPhone for the first time, marking a major step for cross-platform communications.

Encrypted messaging on iPhone was previously limited to Apple’s own iMessage standard, which is only available to Apple users and as such is only possible between two or more iPhones or other Apple devices.

Apple initially enabled RCS on iPhone in 2024, after 17 years of forcing iPhone users to text other platforms over SMS, with the caveat that end-to-end encryption would not be an available feature.

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Now, the GSM Association – the non-profit industry body that represents the world’s mobile network operators – confirms that a multitude of industry partners, including Apple, have collaborated on a new RCS standard that supports end-to-end encryption across multiple platforms.

Apple spokesperson Shane Bauer told The Verge: “We will add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software updates.”

RCS, which stands for Rich Communication Services, has been the standard of choice for the Android phones for a few years now, but Apple has been slow to adopt the universally available communication protocol.

From the beginnings of the iPhone in 2007 up until last year, Apple only allowed iPhones to text other kinds of phones over SMS, which offers no encryption and very limited options for sharing media.

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