RCS Encryption will let Android and iOS users send secure messages

The RCS communication protocol is basically next-gen SMS, adding support for features like typing indicators, read receipts, and higher-quality image, video, and file sharing features. Google has been pushing the protocol for years, and last year Apple finally added support for RCS to its Messages app, bringing significant improvements to cross-platform (iOS and Android) chats.

One feature that’s been missing though is end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Two folks who are using Google Messages on Android devices can send secure, encrypted messages, but it hasn’t been available for Android/iOS chats so far. But that should change soon – the organization responsible for the RCS standard has released a new specification that adds support for E2EE, which should make it harder for anyone to snoop on your RCS chats.

Of course, a new standard is only good if it’s actually adopted… but it looks like we may not have to wait long for that to happen. Apple says it plans to use the new RCS Universal Profile to “add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software updates.”

While E2EE support is the biggest update in the new RCS Universal Profile 3.0 release, the update also includes improved client-side spam detection and handling, improvements designed to make it easier to interact with chatbots, and improved codecs for audio messaging, among other things.