- Apple and Google have partnered to roll out end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging, the protocol designed to replace traditional SMS across both platforms.
- iPhone and Android users can now exchange encrypted messages after installing the latest updates on their respective operating systems.
- A new lock icon now appears in RCS chats to confirm that a conversation carries active end-to-end encryption.
Apple and Google have reached a landmark agreement to bring end-to-end encryption to cross-platform messaging, marking one of the biggest privacy upgrades in modern mobile communication.
The two companies worked together to push Rich Communication Services (RCS), the messaging protocol designed to replace traditional SMS, into a more secure era. iPhone and Android users can now exchange encrypted messages with each other, a development that addresses long-standing compatibility and privacy concerns between the two dominant mobile platforms.
End-to-end encryption means no third party can intercept or read a message while it moves between devices. To access the feature, Android and iPhone users alike need to run the newest updates on their devices’ operating systems.
Apple Kicks Off the Rollout With May iOS Update
Apple began the rollout for iPhone users in beta through its May 11th iOS update, making the feature available to those on supported carriers. Android users running the latest version of Google Messages can also now communicate more securely with iPhone users under the new encrypted system.
According to Apple, both companies led a cross-industry effort to extend end-to-end encryption to RCS, strengthening a messaging format that hundreds of millions of users rely on daily.
The move transforms RCS from a feature-rich but relatively open protocol into one that matches the privacy standards users have come to expect from native platforms. The expert reached out to Google for comment on the development.
Encryption protects your messages, but securing your finances requires additional steps. Our guide to safer online banking and transactions offers practical tips to keep your money safe from cybercriminals.
What RCS is and Why this Shift is Significant
RCS is a communication protocol built to replace SMS. It supports features like read receipts, emoji reactions, longer messages, media sharing, and now, encryption. Android users have had access to end-to-end encrypted messaging through Google Messages since 2021. Apple, however, resisted adopting RCS for years, choosing instead to prioritize iMessage, which has carried encryption since its debut in 2011.
Google and regulators pushed Apple repeatedly to adopt the open standard, but the company held firm. That position changed in 2024, when Apple added RCS support in a notable reversal. Some reports described it as a decision Apple was effectively pressured into, with regulatory dynamics in China cited as a contributing factor.
This latest encryption update builds on that 2024 shift and comes at a time when both companies are drawing closer together. In January, Apple and Google announced a multi-year collaboration involving Google’s Gemini AI models and cloud infrastructure, which Apple will integrate into its own AI features, including a redesigned Siri experience.
Green Bubbles Stay, but the Lock is Now Real
The encryption milestone resolves a major cross-platform concern, though Apple will continue to distinguish its own messaging system from everything else. Blue bubbles mark conversations between iOS users on iMessage. Green bubbles still appear for messages disbursed through SMS, RCS, or MMS, including cross-platform chats with Android users.
The green bubble distinction has carried a social dimension for years. Many users describe it as quietly exclusionary, and the term “green bubble stigma” has entered everyday conversation as shorthand for the divide between iPhone and Android users.
Apple stood firmly by its own platform. According to the company, iMessage has always been end-to-end encrypted and continues to offer the strongest messaging experience between Apple devices.
Still, RCS users now get a meaningful privacy guarantee of their own. A new lock icon appears in RCS conversations to confirm active encryption. The feature switches on by default and will extend automatically to both new and existing RCS chats as the rollout continues.
For everyday users, the takeaway is straightforward. Messages traveling between iPhones and Android phones now carry real encryption, a layer of protection that each platform’s native system has offered its own users for years.
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About the Author
Farwa is an experienced InfoSec writer and cybersecurity journalist skilled in writing articles related to cybersecurity, AI, DevOps, Big Data, Cloud security, VPNs, IAM, and Cloud Computing. Also a contributor on Tripwire.com, Infosecurity Magazine, Security Boulevard, DevOps.com, and CPO Magazine.
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