iOS 26.5 Brings End-to-End Encryption to iPhone-Android RCS Messages

[GM…]

Anyone know if T-Mobile will support this encryption? I know that they’ve supported RCS for a long time because most of my Android using friends and family are on T-Mobile.

Chances are good, since E2EE is opt-out on iOS (it‘s enabled by default) and it‘s not single carriers who decide whether they support it or not.

T-Mobile supports encryption. My RCS conversations with a T-Mobile user on iOS and Android are encrypted.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

? People use more than one messaging application. If 100/100 users use iMessage and those same 100/100 users also use WhatsApp, then the penetration for both iMessage and WhatsApp in that population is 100% respectively.

Then, effectively, your numbers can be accurately represented as 100% of 100% of the people using messaging use messaging.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I’ve never seen an ad on Waze. Besides it a far better app than Apple Maps

Wait, you mean to say that you have been intentionally using a worse app for maps and only decided to use Waze because Apple had the audacity to make Maps more like Waze? Good that Apple did that for you, then, or you may still be using Apple Maps, the worser of the options!

And you’ve seen ads, Waze tags them as “Sponsored”. Any branded pins you see are an ad, the top result listings are an ad. And those banner “takeovers” that appear when stopped is an ad. Fortunately for you, you now have access to the better maps AND better ads!

 

[Ct applefan]

Wait, you mean to say that you have been intentionally using a worse app for maps and only decided to use Waze because Apple had the audacity to make Maps more like Waze? Good that Apple did that for you, then, or you may still be using Apple Maps, the worser of the options!

And you’ve seen ads, Waze tags them as “Sponsored”. Any branded pins you see are an ad, the top result listings are an ad. And those banner “takeovers” that appear when stopped is an ad. Fortunately for you, you now have access to the better maps AND better ads!

When Apple Maps can show me a speed trap and not tell me to take a right turn on a bridge lol. Maybe I’ll go try maps again.
I never seen a “sponsored” pin or banner while using Waze. Stop shilling for a 4 trillion dollar company. Maps just plain sucks

 

[hagar]

Not everyone wants to install a Meta app or another Meta app.

Also, with RCS messaging, the native Messages app gives all the functionality of WhatsApp (typing indicators, delivered indicators, and also the ability to send pics, vids etc). With that said, I see no point in installing an app that does everything that the native Messages app can do.

Sure. But the native app doesn’t do everything. Because encryption issues, compatibility issues, need for carrier support, green and blue bubble drama, …

Ideally there would be one messaging app on my phone, but my friends are spread over WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Signal and Messages. And that’s not going to change anytime soon.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

When Apple Maps can show me a speed trap and not tell me to take a right turn on a bridge lol. Maybe I’ll go try maps again.
I never seen a “sponsored” pin or banner while using Waze. Stop shilling for a 4 trillion dollar company. Maps just plain sucks

Says the person shilling for a small mom and pop search company? 😀 I’m just asking why were you using Apple Maps if it sucks? And indicating that it’s lucky for you that Apple added ads because, apparently, you’d still be using Apple Maps (I mean, could have just been hyperbole, I guess)
You’ve seen ads. You just didn’t recognize them, and that’s fine!

 

[Ct applefan]

Says the person shilling for a small mom and pop search company? 😀 I’m just asking why were you using Apple Maps if it sucks? And indicating that it’s lucky for you that Apple added ads because, apparently, you’d still be using Apple Maps (I mean, could have just been hyperbole, I guess)
You’ve seen ads. You just didn’t recognize them, and that’s fine!

I don’t care who owns Waze. If Apple did own Waze I would still use Waze.
I found Apple Maps was horrible and dangerous at times. The right hand turn on a bridge was the last straw. I found Waze and love it. I’ve never had a ad pop up during use. So I may have missed an ad.

the speed trap function is priceless. It’s also never messed up my directions and told me to take a deadly turn

 

[TimFL1]

T-Mobile supports encryption. My RCS conversations with a T-Mobile user on iOS and Android are encrypted.

Unfortunately I could not get it to work yet with Telekom.de (german T-Mobile, which was at the forefront of RCS rollout in the past). The toggle shows and it‘s turned on, I even disabled and turned it back on to no avail.

Chatting with 7 Android contacts, none of them have an encrypted chat with me. 3 of them on the Google Messages Beta app for years, so either incredibly bad A/B testing luck, their carriers not in yet (which I doubt since it‘s Android fallback?) or my iOS setup is borked. I‘ll continue to test and see if I can get one of them to go E2EE.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Well, hey at least it's not like Instagram DMs are now.

Chats on there are like walking into a stadium with your pants down.

 

[GM…]

Unfortunately I could not get it to work yet with Telekom.de (german T-Mobile, which was at the forefront of RCS rollout in the past). The toggle shows and it‘s turned on, I even disabled and turned it back on to no avail.

Chatting with 7 Android contacts, none of them have an encrypted chat with me. 3 of them on the Google Messages Beta app for years, so either incredibly bad A/B testing luck, their carriers not in yet (which I doubt since it‘s Android fallback?) or my iOS setup is borked. I‘ll continue to test and see if I can get one of them to go E2EE.

I don't think anything is wrong with your phone. I am also in Germany and it does not work with my Telekom number either. I also see the option activated in the settings and have been checking after each beta. It unexpectedly started working with my O2 number a day or so after I installed iOS 26.5 Beta 3. I expect many carriers to enable it after the public release next week like they did when RCS appeared in iOS 18.

 

[bn-7bc]

Unfortunately for those of us living in norway RCS is of 0 use sines ghe crrieres here don't implement it yet, sigh, still it's nice to see things being ready on apples end when / if the cariers decide to get going

 

[bn-7bc]

Providing your every movement to Google.

True but dome beople ( a lot actually) might find that trade-off ok if the wazei genuinly provides a better ix/better features

 

[bn-7bc]

Well, hey at least it's not like Instagram DMs are now.

Chats on there are like walking into a stadium with your pants down.

So a high chance fot
R being trown kutand possibly arrested for indecent exposure, wow Instagram PMs seam to cattu a high amlut of risk thiese days ( for context ate you wearing boxers/briefs in this no pants in stadium cenario?

 

[bn-7bc]

Are you an SMS/RCS provider sending thousands/millions of messages per day? If not, you should look into whether or not business SMS/RCS providers charge more for RCS than SMS. (They do)

Well yea RCS enables richer more impactful communication why not charge more? allso carriers might charhe more for commercial RCS messages to be delivered to avoid therit costumers being spammed to deth by flashy rcs ads ( you know it will happen if the price for RCS and sms is the same

 

[bn-7bc]

I don’t care who owns Waze. If Apple did own Waze I would still use Waze.
I found Apple Maps was horrible and dangerous at times. The right hand turn on a bridge was the last straw. I found Waze and love it. I’ve never had a ad pop up during use. So I may have missed an ad.

the speed trap function is priceless. It’s also never messed up my directions and told me to take a deadly turn

You know, another way to not meed speed trap warnings, stay at the fing speed limit, then the speed trap is irrelevant (well apport from the rest of the speeding traffic panic breaking wjen they get the speed trap allert, shigh why can't people just syick to the rules it would make things so much simpler for everyone

 

[Ct applefan]

You know, another way to not meed speed trap warnings, stay at the fing speed limit, then the speed trap is irrelevant (well apport from the rest of the speeding traffic panic breaking wjen they get the speed trap allert, shigh why can't people just syick to the rules it would make things so much simpler for everyone

Just what I need a lecture from a stranger about speeding. Lol.

 

[bn-7bc]

Just what I need a lecture from a stranger about speeding. Lol.

Ok fair enugh I should have worded this differently, my point was not to lecture you spesifically, more to say the speed trap wornging shuld not be needed bt enybody, if the speed traps where not needed, and the easisest way for speed traps not to be needed is for people not to speed, jhuse freeing up the resources spent on those speed traps for other law enfoecment work, now wouldn't that be a good thing. We can ofc debate the way speed limits are set all day long, but i fear fe might be straying a bit off this threads topic (and yes I know i started it sorry about that)

 

[TimFL1]

It‘s been a week, did anyone manage to get this working? Still no E2EE here.