The GSM Association (GSMA), the organization responsible for developing the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard, announced on Tuesday that it is working to implement end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for messages sent between Android and iPhone devices, though no specific timeline for the implementation has been provided.


The news comes on the heels of Apple’s recent adoption of RCS with the launch of iOS 18, which replaced SMS with ‌RCS‌ messaging for texts sent to Android users. While the update brings improvements such as high-resolution media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators, it notably lacks end-to-end encryption.

GSMA technical director Tom Van Pelt said that the next milestone for ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile is the “first deployment of standardized, interoperable messaging encryption between different computing platforms.” This move aims to bridge a significant gap in cross-platform messaging security.

Currently, not all ‌RCS‌ providers offer E2EE. Google Messages, which enabled E2EE by default for ‌RCS‌ conversations last year, is one of the exceptions. Apple’s proprietary iMessage system also features E2EE, but this protection does not extend to ‌RCS‌ messages.

The implementation of E2EE for cross-platform ‌RCS‌ messages would prevent third parties, such as messaging services or cell carriers, from viewing the content of texts. This added layer of security would also prevent state surveillance of citizens’ ‌RCS‌ communications.

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Available Now With These 8 New Features For Your iPhone

Following over three months of beta testing, iOS 18 was finally widely released to the public on Monday, September 16. The update is available in the Settings app under General → Software Update on the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have highlighted eight key new features included in iOS 18, and Apple shared a complete list of new features and changes last week. Note that Apple…

Here’s When iOS 18 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone

It’s that time of year again. Apple is about to release iOS 18, which promises to bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It’s Apple’s biggest software update of the year, and the company is expected to release it sometime today – Monday, September 16. Based on past releases, the update is likely to drop at around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time/1:00 p.m. Eastern…

M4 Macs, New iPad Mini, and iPad 11 Expected at Upcoming Apple Event

Apple will likely hold another event in October this year to announce new Macs and iPads. If so, it would be the fourth time in the last five years that Apple has held an event in October. Last year, Apple held a virtual event on Monday, October 30 to announce new MacBook Pro and iMac models with the M3 series of chips. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reiterated…

Apple Leaks New Mac Mini With 5 USB-C Ports

Apple has seemingly leaked the rumored next-generation Mac mini with five USB-C ports, according to a code change within Apple software that was discovered today by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The code refers to an unreleased Mac mini model with an Apple silicon chip and five ports, which lines up with a previous report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that said the next Mac mini will be …

iPhone 16 Pro Demand Has Been Lower Than Expected, Analyst Says

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max has been “lower than expected” since the devices became available to pre-order in the U.S. and dozens of other countries on Friday. Kuo said his data is based on a “supply chain survey” and shipping estimates listed on Apple’s online store. Kuo estimated that sales of all four iPhone 16 models reached…

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year’s iPhone 17

Apple’s iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple’s 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip…