Android-to-iPhone Texts Finally Support End-to-End Encryption via RCS

by Aaron Leong — Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 10:46 AM EDT

Apple and Google have finally (FINALLY!) released end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging between both ecosystems, a long-awaited upgrade that brings cross-platform privacy protections to perhaps the most rudimentary kind of smartphone conversation. The beta is rolling out as we speak to users running their latest OS/software versions.

This announcement closes one of the last obvious gaps between iMessage and Android messaging. Apple said the feature is starting in beta for iPhone users on iOS 26.5 with supported carriers, while Google said Android users need the latest version of Google Messages.

Google and Apple described the rollout as the result of a cross-industry effort to add encryption to RCS, the messaging standard that has gradually replaced SMS with richer features like read receipts, typing indicators, higher-quality media, and group chats.

The immediate benefit of this upgrade is straightforward: when an RCS conversation is end-to-end encrypted, the messages cannot be read while they travel between devices. Users will see a lock icon in the chat to show that encryption is active, and Apple says the protection will be automatically enabled over time for new and existing RCS conversations. The same basic rule applies on Android, whereby the same lock icon appears when a cross-platform RCS conversation is protected .

No doubt, this collab has been a long time coming. It's a correction to how messaging has worked for more than a decade. To wit, iMessage has been encrypted since launch; likewise, Android users have been able to chat with each other using end-to-end encryption since 2021. But yet, iPhone-to-Android and Android-to-iPhone texts continued to be left exposed, therefore making cross-platform chats an awkward weak spot in otherwise secure mobile ecosystems, especially for people who assumed texting also meant the same level of privacy regardless of device .

One can also say that this has been a win for RCS, which has become politically and commercially unavoidable. Apple only adopted RCS in 2023 after years of resistance, following pressure from regulators and from Google—the latter a strong proponent for a more seamless alternative to SMS. Apple still frames iMessage as the best option for Apple-to-Apple communication, but thankfully, the company is now participating in the broader RCS ecosystem, which is a win-win for everybody.

Apple and Google both say the feature is rolling out in beta, so access will not be immediate for everyone, and carrier support still matters.

Main photo credit: Google

Tags: Android, Apple, iPhone, Google, security, Privacy, (NASDAQ:AAPL), (nasdaq:goog)

Aaron Leong

Tech enthusiast, YouTuber, engineer, rock climber, family guy. 'Nuff said.