The long-awaited security update for cross-platform messaging is finally here, ensuring your "green bubble" conversations stay private and secure.

Update February 23: The second beta of iOS 26.4 is out now for developers. It expands the testing environment for RCS encryption to include iPhone-to-Android messages.

Apple is finally testing RCS encryption in the iOS 26.4 beta, but for now, those secure green bubbles are sticking to iPhones ...

With the second iOS 26.4 beta, Apple and Google have started testing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages exchanged between iPhone and Android users. Apple started testing E2EE for RCS in the ...

Apple added RCS to the iPhone, but crucially, the current implementation lacks end-to-end encryption. That's changing in the latest beta.

Apple added RCS support to iPhone with iOS 18.1, enabling richer cross-platform messaging between iPhone and Android users. This ...

Apple has taken a small step toward securing cross-platform messaging, with early RCS encryption support now appearing in the iOS 26.4 beta. Just don't expect to get that much testing done right now.