For over a decade, if you sent a text from an Android phone to an iPhone, anyone in between could theoretically read it. As of Monday, that’s no longer true.

Apple released iOS 26.5, which adds end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging in beta for conversations between iPhone and Android users. When enabled, neither Apple nor Google can read the contents of messages while they’re in transit. Users will see a lock icon and a small “Encrypted” label at the top of supported chats. Encryption is on by default, though Apple says it will roll out gradually to existing conversations.

This is a quiet landmark. RCS — Rich Communication Services — is the industry-standard protocol that replaced decades-old SMS, bringing typing indicators, read receipts, and high-quality media sharing to cross-platform texting. The GSMA, which maintains the protocol, added support for end-to-end encryption last year. Apple had already supported unencrypted RCS since 2024. Now the encryption piece is falling into place.

The irony is thick. Apple built iMessage with end-to-end encryption in 2011. Google followed for Android-to-Android chats in 2021. Yet for years, the single largest gap in everyday encrypted messaging — the boundary between the two platforms — went unaddressed. Apple resisted adopting RCS at all until EU regulatory pressure forced its hand in 2023. The encryption arrived only after the GSMA standardized it across the industry.

For a typical user, what changes is straightforward: texts to someone on the other platform are now encrypted automatically, provided both sides are on current software and a supported carrier. In the US, that includes AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and most major MVNOs. Android users need the latest version of Google Messages.

What doesn’t change: iMessage remains Apple-only, the feature is still in beta, and not every carrier supports it yet. The green bubbles persist. They’re just harder to spy on now.

Sources