iOS 18 started rolling out earlier this week and with it came RCS messaging, a feature most of us at Tom’s Guide thought would never arrive on iPhones. It’s essentially a generic version of iMessage, offering better file sharing, smarter features and, crucially, the ability to add extra security. And that’s something both Google and RCS developers at the GSMA are taking very seriously.
One of the reasons Apple resisted adding RCS support to iPhones for so long was security. It claimed that because RCS didn’t offer end-to-end encryption by default it would put iPhone users at risk. Though, weirdly, the lack of encryption hasn’t stopped Apple activating the feature now, since RCS messages sent between Android and iPhones aren’t encrypted.
Thankfully both Google and GSMA have confirmed they’re working to fix this glaring security hole. GSMA has said that the “next major milestone is for the RCS Universal Profile to add important user protections such as interoperable end-to-end encryption.”
Interoperable is the key word here, since this is what you’ll need for encryption to function across devices and messaging platforms. Without it, you end up with a fractured landscape of messaging services that may or may not be secure in themselves — but are definitely not secure communicating with each other. Which is, erm, exactly the situation we’re in now.
One of the most widespread RCS messaging apps is Google Messages, which has offered end-to-end encryption since 2020. Google has confirmed that it has been “working with the broader ecosystem to bring cross-platform E2EE to RCS chats as soon as possible.” Apple also said it would be working with GSMA to add encryption and extra security to RCS, back when it first confirmed RCS would be coming to iPhones.
It’s disappointing that we waited so long for RCS to come to iPhones, only to find that the cross-platform messages are just as insecure as they were with SMS. It’s also a wonder why the GSMA has not implemented encryption in the RCS standard yet, considering how long encrypted messaging services have been around.
But at least things are looking positive going forward. Not only is end-to-end encryption coming, iPhone and Android users can now enjoy a better cross-platform messaging experience. No more compressed files, or wondering whether your friends have actually read your messages or not.
RCS isn’t universally available on iPhones just yet, since it relies on your carrier to actually support it. But we have a guide on how you can check whether you can get RCS messaging on your iPhone. You can also check out our guide on how to activate RCS messaging in iOS 18 to make sure everything is switched on.
More from Tom's Guide
- iOS 18: The biggest new features available on your iPhone
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus leaks suggest a disappointing upgrade — here’s what we know
- I’ve been using iOS 18 for three months — here’s my favorite new features
