Last year, Apple announced plans to include end-to-end encryption for RCS (Rich Communication Services) in a future software update. At that point, iOS 18 was the latest version, which hinted that the upgrade would come with iOS 26.
So far, that encryption hasn’t arrived. Along with this feature, Apple needs to implement other significant upgrades to the RCS protocol. As of the iOS 26.3 release candidate, these updates are still missing.
When Apple initially released RCS with iOS 18, they included a basic version of the protocol, only allowing features like read receipts and higher quality photos. However, this version didn’t support end-to-end encryption because the RCS standard lacked it at the time. The first version to include encryption was RCS version 3.0, which came out recently.
Apple reaffirmed their commitment to RCS encryption in a statement to 9to5Mac:
“End-to-end encryption is a powerful privacy and security technology that iMessage has supported since the beginning. We are pleased to have led a cross-industry effort to add end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile.”
End-to-end encryption will significantly boost users’ privacy and security. Along with this, RCS 3.0 will also bring other features that enhance messaging on iPhones.
Currently, iOS uses RCS version 2.4, which offers only basic functionalities. The upcoming RCS version 2.7 introduces several enhancements, including:
- In-line replies
- Support for message reactions
- Custom reactions
- Message editing
- Message deletion or recalling
Right now, iPhone supports reactions but only in a basic format, showing a text message instead of the actual emoji. The new features will make communication between iPhone and Android users more seamless.
Recently, some carriers in France revealed they would enable end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging by default. This suggests that we can expect these updates to roll out soon, likely with the first iOS 26.4 beta later this month.
In the context of secure communications, a survey by Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) found that 60% of users consider encryption essential for their daily messaging apps. This trend suggests a growing demand for secure messaging solutions, making Apple’s push toward RCS encryption highly relevant.
What are your thoughts on RCS messaging? Are you excited about these upcoming features?
