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End-to-End Encrypted RCS Messages Referenced in Latest iOS 26.3 Beta

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Apple appears close to supporting end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages, almost a year after the GSM Association said it was working to implement the privacy feature for messages sent between Android and iPhone devices.

RCS-Feature-1.jpg

As shared by Tiino-X83 on X (Twitter), the latest iOS 26.3 beta includes references to a new carrier bundle setting that will let carriers enable and disable E2EE for RCS messages.

It's possible that the setting relates to making the encryption status of messages visible to the user, as per the GSMA standard's requirements. The requirement is stupulated because local regulations can prohibit E2EE for all users, and users must be notified of encryption status.

End-to-end encryption for RCS was announced in March 2025, as part of version 3.0 of the RCS Universal Profile. Apple said it planned to add support to the Messages app in future iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS software updates, but the company has since been silent on the subject.


The carrier bundle references in the latest iOS 26.3 beta could be Apple laying the groundwork for future support, and are no guarantee that E2EE for RCS messages are coming with the software release. But they at least indicate that Apple is working to bring support at some point in the future.

RCS support as a whole was added to the iPhone with iOS 18, which supports ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile 2.4. It is effectively a modernized version of the SMS standard, which remains available as a fallback option for text messages over a cellular network.

Article Link: End-to-End Encrypted RCS Messages Referenced in Latest iOS 26.3 Beta
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/13/encryption-rcs-messages-latest-ios-beta/
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What you’re forgetting to say is that the E2EE-related mention is visible only in the carrier bundles of the four French network operators, which makes it even stranger.
 
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Rachid Vàzquez said:
What you’re forgetting to say is that the E2EE-related mention is visible only in the carrier bundles of the four French network operators, which makes it even stranger.
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There's nothing strange about that since it is a beta and is the first mention of E2EE for RCS. It would be really strange if it appeared in all of the carrier bundles.
 
HouseLannister said:
Apple announced support for this before they even announced iOS 26 and we are just now getting to the "groundwork."
Meanwhile, I am still waiting for them to finish iOS 18 with More Personal Siri.
Click to expand...
That is because E2EE encryption standard hadn't even been supported yet when they announced it. Apple and a lot of other companies have been working with the GSM Association on the standard.
 
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Still no RCS on Vodafone in the UK (I presume it is never happening since cross-platform messaging is already a solved problem).
 
"The requirement is stupulated because local regulations can prohibit E2EE for all users, and users must be notified of encryption status."

Is this a cross between stupid and stipulated? 😉
 

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It may be “end to end” but it’s still forcing the messages through Google’s servers because every carrier gave up on RCS and let Google come in with Jibe worldwide to sniff the envelopes as they go through.
 
SilentSpecter said:
I know I'm off topic and I'm sorry, and don't reply to me, don't get mad at me, but, but... damn... did you noticed how clean the Messages app looks, in that screenshot from pre iOS 26 era (in the article)? 🙄
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I know what you mean.

I like Liquid Glass but there's something 'off' about it, in a way that I can't elucidate as I'm not a UX designer.

I don't mean transparent UI elements causing illegibility issues (although that's not great), it's just a general feeling of 'offness'.

Anyway, I didn't think it would be possible for me to get nostalgic so soon for iOS 18, but here we are.
 
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bluecoast said:
Putting aside the blue bubble vs green bubble thing, having the successor for SMS e2e encrypted between Android and Apple's platforms is a very good thing indeed (well, depending on what your country allows...).
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And depending on who holds the keys. If it is end to end encrypted and Facebook or Google or a local government holds the keys then it is just for show. If it is using on device keys like (we are told) that iMessage uses, that is a completely different ballgame. E2E isn't worth much if someone other than you holds the keys because chances are they'll use them, a government will use them or someone will lose them.
 
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centauratlas said:
And depending on who holds the keys. If it is end to end encrypted and Facebook or Google or a local government holds the keys then it is just for show. If it is using on device keys like (we are told) that iMessage uses, that is a completely different ballgame. E2E isn't worth much if someone other than you holds the keys because chances are they'll use them, a government will use them or someone will lose them.
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Very good point, thank you. We will all have to treat very carefully when/if we use RCS in this way.

I wonder if Apple will expose in the UI as to where the keys are held?
 
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