SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 15, 2026, 11:48 (PST)
- A new iOS 26.3 beta points to end-to-end encryption controls for RCS texts with Android phones.
- The setting appears limited to a handful of French carriers and is not yet active.
- Apple previously said it would add encrypted RCS support in a future software update.
Apple is laying groundwork in iOS 26.3 beta 2 for end-to-end encryption in RCS messages — the texting standard used when iPhone users chat with Android phones — according to Android Authority. The report said the relevant carrier settings appear only for four French operators and none has enabled the feature yet. (Android Authority)
That matters because RCS has become the default “bridge” between iPhones and Android handsets for many everyday chats, but it still lacks the same privacy protection iMessage provides. End-to-end encryption keeps message content readable only by the sender and recipient, not the carrier or the platform moving the traffic.
iOS 26 is Apple’s current iPhone software line and runs on iPhone 11 models and newer, the company says, so any change to Messages can ripple quickly across supported devices. (Apple Support)
Apple’s own developer postings show iOS 26.3 beta 2 as the current test build for developers. Apple typically uses these betas to stage network and messaging changes before they reach the general public. (Apple Developer)
German tech outlet heise said the beta contains a carrier-bundle key labelled “SupportsE2EE,” a sign that mobile operators may decide whether encrypted RCS is available on their networks. Heise also pointed to GSMA guidance that aims for encryption by default, with carve-outs where local rules prohibit it. (heise online)
Apple has given few public specifics on timing. In March 2025, Apple spokesperson Shane Bauer told The Verge: “We will add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages … in future software updates.” Google spokesperson Ed Fernandez told the outlet Google Messages users “have had end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging for years.” (The Verge)
Today, Google’s own support documentation says end-to-end encryption for RCS works for chats when all participants use Google Messages with RCS enabled — a limitation that encrypted iPhone-to-Android RCS would try to remove. (Google Help)
But the beta breadcrumbs do not guarantee a near-term rollout. Carrier support can lag, features can ship country by country, and legal restrictions on encryption — even if narrow — can change what users get in the Messages app.
For now, iMessage remains end-to-end encrypted when both sides use Apple devices, while iPhone-to-Android RCS chats still depend on the carrier and the standard Apple and Google choose to implement.
