Apple has announced that it will support RCS with end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which will make Android-iPhone messaging more secure. This comes as part of the GSMA’s new RCS Universal Profile 3.0 update, which improves the way Android and iPhone users text each other. With E2EE, messages are fully encrypted, meaning only the sender and recipient can read them. Not Apple, Google, or mobile carriers. In a statement to 9to5Mac, Apple confirmed that it helped push for encryption in RCS and will roll it out in future updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.
Will Samsung Messages support E2EE RCS, like Apple and Google Messages?
RCS already improves texting between iPhones and Android phones by adding features like read receipts, typing indicators, and high-quality media sharing. However, until now, it lacked strong security. This update fixes that by making messages safer with end-to-end encryption.
While Google is updating Google Messages to support E2EE RCS, Samsung Messages might not get the update right away. Samsung hasn’t confirmed if all of its devices will fully support Google’s Jibe network, which powers RCS messaging. For context, Jibe is the backend that powers RCS. This means that some Samsung Galaxy users may need to switch to Google Messages to get E2EE when texting iPhone users.
For now, Samsung Messages users won’t see typing indicators or read receipts when chatting with iPhones. But Apple’s support for RCS encryption is a major step toward better security and privacy for everyone. With this update, texting between iPhones and Androids will feel more secure. Sure, Samsung Messages now supports RCS again in many regions. But if you want the latest features, Google Messages is the only way to go.
