Apple’s latest iOS 26.4 beta is now available for iPhone owners, with an added perk for RCS messaging – end-to-end encryption. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t work with Android yet.
Within the changelog of the iOS 26.4 beta, Apple details that it is now testing end-to-end encryption in RCS messaging on iPhone. The feature is “not shipping in this release,” but will be coming later for certain devices and carriers.
Apple explains:
RCS end-to-end encryption is now available for testing in this beta. This feature is not shipping in this release and will be available to customers in a future software update for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. End-to-end encryption is in beta and is not available for all devices or carriers. Conversations labeled as encrypted are encrypted end-to-end, so messages can’t be read while they’re sent between devices. In this beta, RCS encryption is available for testing between Apple devices and is not yet testable with other platforms.
It’s that last bit that’s important to note, though.
While Apple is testing encryption for RCS messages, it’s not supporting Android during this test. It doesn’t seem like that’s off the table, as Apple says it is “not yet testable,” but either way, we’ll be waiting a bit longer for it to arrive. It’s interesting, though, seeing as RCS is primarily used for iPhone-to-Android communication, as iPhone users generally utilize iMessage with SMS as a fallback.
Notably, a lack of encryption was one of the key excuses used leading up to Apple’s overdue adoption of RCS on the iPhone, with Apple even directly calling out the lack of support when it did announce support in 2023. In 2024, Google confirmed that encryption between RCS messages on iPhone and Android was in the pipeline, and it was about a year ago that the GSMA – the organization in charge of the RCS standard – announced end-to-end encryption as a part of the standard. Google first added its own end-to-end encryption on top of RCS back in 2020, with plans to adopt the new standard in the future.
You can learn more about what’s new in the iOS 26.4 beta from our sister site, 9to5Mac:
- iOS 26.4 beta 1: Here’s everything new
- iOS 26.4 beta adds new ‘Playlist Playground’ AI feature for Apple Music
- iOS 26.4 will activate key theft prevention feature on all iPhones
- Apple Podcasts app gaining ‘enhanced video podcast experience’ in iOS 26.4
More on RCS:
- This is how Google Fi’s new Web Calls and RCS system works, rolling out now
- Google Messages adding Android RCS Archival on Pixel for businesses
- RCS will get better voice messages in latest Universal Profile 3.1 update
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