Apple has started testing encrypted RCS messaging in the iOS 26.4 developer beta, but the first rollout is limited and Android is not included yet.
Quick Summary – TLDR:
- Apple is testing end to end encryption for RCS in the iOS and iPadOS 26.4 developer beta.
- The feature is not shipping in iOS 26.4, and Apple says it will arrive in a future update across Apple platforms.
- Early testing is limited to some devices and carriers, and encryption is currently Apple to Apple only.
What Happened?
Apple released a new developer beta of iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 that introduces testing for encrypted RCS messages. The company says the feature is still in beta, not available everywhere, and will roll out to customers later.
✨ New in iOS 26.4 dev beta: End-to-End Encryption (Beta) for RCS Messaging with Android users! 💬🔒
— Josh Long (the JoshMeister) (@theJoshMeister) February 16, 2026
It’s “not available for all devices/carriers. Conversations labeled as encrypted… can’t be read [in transit].”
Apple worked with GSMA to incorporate E2EE into the RCS standard. pic.twitter.com/W1TW1PDdig
Encrypted RCS Arrives, With Clear Limits
Apple’s release notes spell out what is new and what is not. The company is turning on encrypted RCS conversations for testing, but it is not something iPhone owners should expect to see shipped publicly as part of iOS 26.4.
Apple says:
There is another important limitation in the current beta. Apple is only testing encrypted RCS between Apple devices, meaning it does not yet extend to Android. That is a big deal because RCS matters most when iPhone users text people on other phones.
Why Android Support Matters for RCS?
RCS has become the modern upgrade to old style SMS texting, adding richer features that make chats feel closer to modern messaging apps. For iPhone users, the biggest benefit is improving conversations with Android users, where the experience has often felt stuck in the past.
Cross platform encryption has been one of the biggest missing pieces. Apple has already indicated it wants encrypted RCS across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, but the company is starting with a smaller test. Apple also describes this as “not yet testable with other platforms,” which strongly suggests Android support is still the goal, just not ready in this beta.
How the Standard Is Catching Up?
This move did not come out of nowhere. The GSMA, the group that helps develop the RCS standard, formally announced support for end-to-end encryption as part of the RCS Universal Profile roadmap in September 2024. Apple later said it would support encrypted RCS in future software updates across its platforms in March 2025.
Technically, encrypted RCS is expected to require Apple to update to RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which is built on the Messaging Layer Security protocol. That standard foundation matters because it helps make encryption consistent across vendors, instead of being a one off solution that only works inside one app.
Google has its own history here too. Google added its own end-to-end encryption layer on top of RCS in 2020, and in 2024 it confirmed that encryption between RCS messages on iPhone and Android was in the pipeline.
More Security Changes Also Land in iOS 26.4 Beta
The same beta includes other security focused updates that show Apple is still spending serious effort on hardening the platform.
One change lets apps opt in to the full safeguards of Memory Integrity Enforcement, a protection designed to improve memory safety. Apple previously limited apps to Soft Mode, but now developers can choose stronger coverage.
Apple introduced Memory Integrity Enforcement last September as a way to counter sophisticated mercenary spyware attacks. The company has described it as always on memory safety protection across major attack surfaces, including the kernel and more than 70 userland processes, without a performance hit.
Separately, iOS 26.4 is also expected to enable Stolen Device Protection by default for all iPhone users. This feature adds extra checks like Face ID or Touch ID for sensitive actions when the device is away from familiar locations such as home or work. It also adds a one hour delay before making Apple Account password changes, giving people time to mark a stolen phone as lost.
SQ Magazine Takeaway
I like that Apple is finally pushing encrypted RCS forward, because privacy should not depend on which phone your friend bought. But I am not thrilled that the first version is Apple to Apple only. The whole point of RCS on iPhone is smoother texting with Android, so encryption needs to reach cross platform chats fast. If Apple can ship all these extra protections like Memory Integrity Enforcement and stronger stolen device controls, it can also finish the job on encrypted RCS with Android support.
