Tech Desk 
Mar 14, 2025
Apple has announced that iPhones will soon support end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging in a future software update. This upgrade will make RCS much safer, bringing it closer to iMessage in terms of security.
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is a modern messaging standard that enhances messaging between Android and iPhone. RCS provides features such as read receipts, typing indicators, emoji reactions, and high-quality media sharing. Apple initially rolled out RCS support with iOS 18.1 last year, which improved texting for iPhone users who engage with Android users.
End-to-end RCS in iPhones
RCS messages were not end-to-end encrypted, meaning they were less secure than iMessage. But with the new RCS Universal Profile 3.0 release, encryption is now included as part of the norm.
Apple acknowledged that it was collaborating with the GSM Association (GSMA) to implement encryption for RCS and will roll it out across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.
Notably, end-to-end encryption makes sure that only the recipient and sender can read messages. No third party, such as Apple or cell carriers, can intercept these conversations. Apple has implemented this technology on iMessage since day one, and now it is applying the same security to RCS messages.
According to 9to5Mac, Apple has highlighted the importance of end-to-end encryption as a key privacy and security feature that iMessage has supported from the start. The company also pointed out its role in leading a cross-industry effort to integrate encryption into the RCS Universal Profile.
