Apple Tests End-to-End Encryption for RCS in iOS 26.4 Beta — But Only Between iPhones for Now

In a move that’s equal parts exciting and perplexing, Apple has quietly slipped a major messaging security feature into the iOS 26.4 beta: end-to-end encryption for RCS (Rich Communication Services) chats. The catch? It only works between Apple devices right now — leaving Android users temporarily out in the cold.

The Encryption That Was Promised… But Not Quite Delivered

Apple’s official changelog for iOS 26.4 beta 1 reveals that the company is “testing” end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging. However, the feature is explicitly labeled as not shipping in this release and will be available to customers in a future update across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.

The fine print, though, is where things get interesting. Apple states:

“In this beta, RCS encryption is available for testing between Apple devices and is not yet testable with other platforms.”

That’s right — while Apple is testing encryption, it’s only between iPhones. No cross-platform encryption with Android just yet.

Why This Matters: The RCS Saga Continues

RCS has long been positioned as the modern successor to SMS, promising features like read receipts, typing indicators, high-quality media sharing, and — crucially — better security. However, one of Apple’s biggest hesitations in adopting RCS was the lack of end-to-end encryption, a feature it frequently highlighted as a major gap in the standard.

In fact, back in 2023, Apple directly called out the absence of strong encryption in RCS, stating it wanted to work with GSMA (the organization behind RCS) to add it. Fast forward to 2024, Google confirmed that encryption between RCS messages on iPhone and Android was in the pipeline, and by March 2025, the GSMA officially announced end-to-end encryption as part of the RCS standard.

Google, not waiting around, had already implemented its own end-to-end encryption layer over RCS back in 2020 and plans to adopt the new GSMA standard in the future.

So Why the iPhone-Only Beta?

The decision to limit RCS encryption testing to Apple devices only raises eyebrows. RCS, after all, exists primarily to improve messaging between iPhone and Android users — a space traditionally dominated by Apple’s iMessage within its ecosystem and SMS as a fallback for everyone else.

By testing encryption solely within its own ecosystem, Apple seems to be taking a cautious, phased approach. It’s possible they’re ensuring the encryption works flawlessly on their own devices before expanding to cross-platform compatibility. Or perhaps it’s a strategic move to control the narrative around RCS security before opening it up to the wider world.

Either way, Android users will have to wait a bit longer for that seamless, encrypted cross-platform messaging experience.

What’s Next?

Apple’s move signals a clear commitment to improving messaging security, even if the rollout is slower than some might hope. With iOS 26.4 still in beta, there’s ample time for Apple to expand encryption support to Android devices before a public release.

For now, the message is clear: Apple is serious about RCS encryption — but it’s taking its time to get it right.

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