For years, we've been waiting for Apple to fully embrace RCS (Rich Communication Services), and with iOS 18, they finally did! Now, iPhone users can seamlessly text their Android friends with better features like high-quality images and improved group chats. It's a welcome change, but there's still something missing: end-to-end encryption (E2EE).

Apple has mentioned that E2EE is coming to RCS on iPhones in a future update, and I think it could be sooner than we expect – perhaps even iOS 26. While "future updates" could mean anything, there are signs that Apple is actively working on it.

The GSMA announced the new Universal Profile 3.0 specifications, which include E2EE based on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol. This is a big deal because it would make RCS the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between different platforms. Apple is part of this collaboration, which gives me hope. Imagine sending texts knowing that only you and the recipient can read them. That's the promise of E2EE.

I've seen reports that the iOS 26 betas include code related to end-to-end encryption. Apple is testing the same MLS encryption that Google uses in Google Messages. While this doesn't guarantee that iOS 26 will be the update that brings E2EE, it's a strong indicator that it's in the works. It might get pushed back to a later version like iOS 26.1 or even iOS 27, but I'm remaining optimistic.

However, don't expect Apple to include every single feature from Universal Profile 3.0 right away. It seems like they might focus on the essentials, like encryption, and keep it simple. For example, group icons and mentions might not make the cut initially. And let's not forget that iMessage already offers E2EE for iPhone-to-iPhone conversations. The lack of encryption only becomes an issue when texting Android users via RCS. So, when E2EE finally arrives for RCS on iPhones, it will ensure that those cross-platform messages remain private and secure.

On the Android side, E2EE isn't always a given either. It depends on whether both users are using a messaging app that supports it, like Google Messages. If they're using different apps, the messages might not be encrypted. The adoption of RCS Universal Profile 3.0 with MLS would solve this by providing interoperable E2EE across different Android messaging clients.

For me, the arrival of E2EE for RCS is a crucial step towards secure and private messaging for everyone, regardless of the device they use. It's about time we have a standard that protects our conversations across platforms.