The GSM Association, which sets the RCS standard, said on Tuesday it was working to implement end-to-end encryption (E2EE) of messages between Android and iPhone. E2EE prevents third parties (such as SMS services or mobile phone operators) from viewing your text messages.
GSMA Technical Director Tom Van Pelt said in the announcement that the next milestone for RCS Universal Profile is "the first deployment of standardized, interoperable information encryption across different computing platforms." The move will help bridge a significant gap in interoperability - especially now that Apple has also joined RCS.
On Monday, Apple's iOS 18 update replaced text messages sent to Android users with RCS messages. While this change doesn't eliminate the green bubble, it will finally allow cross-platform users to share HD media, as well as view read receipts and while-typing indicators. However, Apple's RCS implementation is missing a key feature: E2EE.
Currently, not all RCS providers offer E2EE. Google Messages is one of the exceptions, as it started enabling E2EE by default for RCS conversations last year. Apple's proprietary iMessage system is also E2EE enabled, but it doesn't provide the same protection for RCS messages.
Google's Elmar Weber said on LinkedIn: "We believe E2EE is an important part of secure messaging, and we have been working with the broader ecosystem to bring cross-platform E2EE to RCS chat as soon as possible. Google is committed to providing users with a secure and private messaging experience, and we will continue to work on making E2EE standard for all RCS users, regardless of which platform they use."
As an Android user, I'm excited to finally be able to send high-quality photos and videos to friends and family using iPhones, and of course, E2EE is the icing on the cake.