Google and Apple have together improved support for RCS messages. Now, even RCS messages sent between iPhone and Android travel end-to-end encrypted.
The update arrived for iPhones today in the released iOS 26.5 update, and thanks to the update, most "basic" messages now also travel fully encrypted. RCS technology began replacing traditional text messages on Android a few years ago, and by the end of 2024, Apple also started supporting this standard.
Apple still uses its own iMessage communication by default for communication between iPhones, but in communication between different operating systems, we are now entering the RCS era. In the Android world, RCS messages have gradually replaced text messages almost entirely, provided that both parties in the conversation have at least a somewhat modern Android phone.
However, the use of RCS messages also requires that the participants' own operators support it - meaning that mere operating system support is not enough for using RCS.
Apple still uses its own iMessage communication by default for communication between iPhones, but in communication between different operating systems, we are now entering the RCS era. In the Android world, RCS messages have gradually replaced text messages almost entirely, provided that both parties in the conversation have at least a somewhat modern Android phone.
However, the use of RCS messages also requires that the participants' own operators support it - meaning that mere operating system support is not enough for using RCS.
