I’ve waited years for Apple to fix iPhone-to-Android texting, and it’s finally happening
Android Central • • technology
Key Points:
- Apple and Google are introducing end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging for iPhone and Android users with the iOS 26.5 beta, marking a major step in cross-platform chat security.
- The encryption is integrated into the GSMA’s RCS Universal Profile, replacing Google's previous proprietary solution and allowing seamless secure messaging if both users have updated software and supported carriers.
- Major carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon in the U.S., and Rogers, Bell, Telus in Canada are already supporting the feature, which requires no complicated setup and shows a lock icon in chats to confirm encryption.
- This update resolves a long-standing privacy gap where messages between iPhone and Android users were previously unencrypted, addressing concerns over insecure SMS and basic RCS messaging.
- While the rollout is welcomed as a win for cross-platform privacy, critics note it took many years for Apple and Google to collaborate on this basic security feature, highlighting frustrations over delayed adoption.