In a significant move towards enhancing digital privacy, text messages sent between iPhones and Android devices will soon feature end-to-end encryption.
This development follows the GSM Association’s release of new specifications for the Rich Communication Services protocol, which now includes cross-platform E2EE support.
RCS aims to modernize traditional SMS-style messaging by offering advanced features such as group chats, typing indicators, read receipts, and file-sharing — functionalities similar to popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, and while many Android phone manufacturers had adopted RCS over the years, Apple was a notable holdout until the launch of iOS 18 last year. Despite the inclusion of core RCS features for cross-platform messaging since then, E2EE had remained absent — until now.
End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient of a message can read its content, preventing unauthorized access by intermediaries. This privacy feature has become a key selling point for tech companies, reassuring users that their communications are secure. Apple has offered E2EE through iMessage since 2011, albeit limited to iOS devices, while WhatsApp implemented the feature for its user base in 2016.
Google previously introduced E2EE to its Messages app, but this was a proprietary effort separate from the RCS protocol. The challenge of encrypting messages across different apps and platforms required a unified approach — now achieved through the GSMA’s Universal Profile 3.0.
This profile, built on the cryptographic Messaging Layer Security protocol, standardizes secure, interoperable RCS messaging across devices, networks, and operators.
GSMA technical director Tom Van Pelt emphasized the significance of this breakthrough: “That means that RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers. Together with other unique security features such as SIM-based authentication, E2EE will provide RCS users with the highest level of privacy and security for stronger protection from scams, fraud, and other security and privacy threats.”
This advancement marks a crucial step in securing cross-platform communication, ensuring users across both iPhone and Android ecosystems can safely exchange messages using their native apps.
