In a significant development for Android and iPhone users, the ability to exchange end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) RCS messages is on the horizon, thanks to the latest updates to RCS specifications. The GSM Association has announced that the new RCS standard now includes E2EE based on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, marking a milestone for interoperable encryption across different platform providers.
The GSMA began efforts to enable E2EE for messages sent between iPhone and Android devices in September of last year. E2EE is a crucial privacy and security feature that ensures third parties, including messaging providers and cellular carriers, cannot access the content of your messages. The GSMA highlights that this new RCS standard was developed in partnership with mobile operators, device manufacturers, and technology providers, including Apple.
“End-to-end encryption is a powerful privacy and security technology that iMessage has supported since its inception. We are proud to have led a cross-industry initiative to integrate E2EE into the RCS Universal Profile published by the GSMA,” stated Apple spokesperson Shane Bauer. “Support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages will be introduced to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in upcoming software updates.”
Following the introduction of RCS support in iPhones with the iOS 18 update in September, Apple’s proprietary iMessage system has maintained E2EE. However, this feature was not extended to RCS messaging until now, as the previous RCS standard lacked cross-platform support. Google Messages has also enabled E2EE by default for RCS texts, but this was limited to conversations between Google Messages users, excluding those with iMessage users or other RCS clients on Android.
