Google Messages has supported end-to-end encrypted messaging between Android devices for years, but the same couldn't be said for cross-platform messaging, such as Android to iOS. That is now changing. Starting today, end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging is beginning to roll out in beta to iPhone users on iOS 26.5 with compatible carriers, as well as to Android users running the latest version of Google Messages. With this encryption in place, messages cannot be read by anyone while they travel between devices.
Users will see that a conversation between Google and Apple is protected when they see the lock icon that already appears in encrypted RCS chats. However, because the rollout of end-to-end encrypted RCS is in its early beta phase, not all users will have access immediately.
Android-iPhone Messages: How They've Evolved
Communication between iOS and Android users has been limited in the past. Android users could not access Apple's iMessage service. Apple wasn't adopting RCS — the modern standard that improves upon traditional messaging — for long as well. RCS enables richer features such as emojis, read receipts, typing indicators, and longer messages.
Apple only began supporting RCS in 2023 after facing regulatory pressure. Google and Apple have now collaborated to implement end-to-end encryption for RCS, enhancing the security and privacy of messages.
How End-To-End Encrypted Messages Help
End-to-end encryption is a key privacy safeguard. It reduces the risk of surveillance firstly by platforms like Google and Apple themselves, secondly hackers, and in some cases even the government. It ensures that messages between two people remain encrypted when sent across platforms, making it extremely difficult for a third person to intrude and read them.
iMessage offered encryption since its introduction in 2011, and Android users received end-to-end encrypted chats within the platform since 2021. With the latest update, messages between iPhones and Android devices now get this protection.
Also read: Apple iOS 26.5 Rolls Out: Top New Features And Installation Guide
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