Misryoum reports iOS 26.5 will enable end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between Apple and Android, starting as a rollout over time.
A new security upgrade is arriving for mixed-device texting, and iOS 26.5 is the vehicle: Misryoum reports that Apple’s latest test version includes end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between iPhone users and Android devices.
The change is tied to RCS support that Apple introduced with iOS 18.. In iOS 26.5. the encryption for RCS messaging is described as a beta feature and is expected to roll out gradually. depending on carrier support.. Apple’s approach is to have the setting enabled by default. with users able to verify it in the Messages app under the RCS Messaging menu after updating.
A practical signpost should make it easier to tell when the extra protection is active: Misryoum notes that iPhone users should see a lock icon in the Messages app when RCS chats with Android devices are using the encrypted path.. On the Android side. Google Messages displays the same kind of indicator used for encrypted RCS conversations. helping make the experience consistent across platforms.
In this context, the “mixed world” problem is the key detail. Many people text across ecosystems without realizing how security can vary by platform, carrier, and feature availability, so standardizing encryption behavior matters more than ever.
Apple’s roadmap for RCS security has been in motion for a while.. Misryoum reports that Apple began testing related RCS encryption capabilities earlier as part of iOS 26.4. while signaling that a full rollout would come later.. The timing now suggests Apple is moving from trial to wider deployment through iOS 26.5.
For users. the impact is straightforward: more conversations between iPhone and Android will be treated as end-to-end protected rather than relying on weaker intermediate handling.. For the industry. it’s another step toward making cross-platform messaging feel less like a compromise and more like a baseline expectation.