Apple Finally Adds RCS End-to-End Encryption With Android

Thanks to a list of changes for an iOS update last week, we were pretty sure that Apple and Google were ready to rollout end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS between Android and iPhone devices. To kickstart the week, they both confirmed that to be the case. E2EE RCS is here.

In separate statements, Google and Apple said that this new feature is rolling out in beta for iPhone users running the latest iOS 26.5 update. It will also require carrier support on a list of carriers that I’d imagine will continue to grow.

For Android phones, you just need to use Google Messages (the latest version), which basically everyone does at this point. Samsung has even decided to force their phone owners onto it.

To know if you are in an encrypted RCS message with someone, you’ll see a lock icon in the message box. Google says that encryption is on by default too.

iPhone owners, please update to iOS 26.5 right away – you’ve been holding back our encryption all this time.

As for the supported carriers, Apple is keeping a list, but we’ve grabbed all of the US carriers for you below:

AT&T, Boost Mobile, C Spire, Cellcom Wisconsin, Consumer Cellular, Cox Mobile, Cricket, Family Mobile, FirstNet, Metro by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, Nex-Tech Wireless, PureTalk, Red Pocket, Spectrum, Strata, T-Mobile, TracFone, Straight Talk, Ultra Mobile, US Cellular, Verizon, Visible, and Xfinity Mobile.