End-to-End Encrypted RCS Between Android and iPhone Is Finally Here
The green bubble era just got safer. Google and Apple have confirmed that end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging is rolling out in beta today, securing cross-platform conversations between Android and iPhone users by default for the first time. It marks one of the biggest mobile messaging shifts since iMessage launched in 2011.
Per Google’s official blog, the rollout starts today for iPhone users on iOS 26.5 with supported carriers and Android users on the latest version of Google Messages.
Encryption is enabled by default and will gradually activate for both new and existing RCS conversations with no user action required.
What Changes for You Right Now
When an Android-to-iPhone conversation is end-to-end encrypted, neither Google, Apple, telecom carriers, nor third parties can read messages while they travel between devices. The protection is built directly into the protocol rather than offered as an optional setting.
Users can quickly identify protected chats. In Google Messages, encrypted conversations display the familiar lock icon previously used for Android-to-Android RCS chats.
This feature now serves as the new standard for Galaxy users, as Samsung is officially sunsetting its native Messages app in favor of Google Messages to ensure full encryption support.
On iPhone, the Messages app shows “Text Message · RCS Encrypted” within the conversation thread.
The system is built on RCS Universal Profile 3.0, developed through the GSMA using the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol as its cryptographic foundation.
The same update also adds message editing and deletion, cross-platform Tapback reactions, and inline replies for Android-to-iPhone conversations, changes that extend well beyond encryption alone.
Carrier Support and How to Enable It
The beta rollout is carrier-dependent. In the US, some of the most notable supported carriers include:
- AT&T
- T-Mobile
- Verizon Wireless
- Boost Mobile
- Cricket
- Metro by T-Mobile
- Mint Mobile
- Consumer Cellular
- Xfinity Mobile
- Visible
Encryption only activates when both users are on supported carriers; a single unsupported carrier leaves the conversation unencrypted.
iPhone users can check their status under Settings > Messages > RCS Messaging and verify that “End-to-End Encryption (Beta)” is enabled.
Android users on the latest Google Messages version require no setup, as the lock icon appears automatically when a conversation qualifies.
For Android users who closely manage security and privacy settings using corresponding third-party apps, the update closes one of the last major unencrypted gaps in everyday communication. And the texting between Android and iPhone users is now more private than ever.
Why This Took Until 2026
Google Messages gained Android-to-Android end-to-end encryption in 2021. Apple introduced RCS support in iOS 18 in September 2024, but encryption across platforms required both companies to align on a shared protocol standard.
The encryption system required a cross-industry effort led by both Google and Apple through the GSMA to finalize Universal Profile 3.0, which only reached publication-ready status with Apple’s direct involvement.
The result took years, but it is built on an open, carrier-independent standard, meaning every major platform can adopt it without proprietary lock-in.
Source: End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging begins rolling out today for Android and iPhone
