Apple has confirmed that changes are afoot which will significantly improve messaging between Apple and Android handsets.

Macworld When Apple released Messages with RCS support in iOS 18 last year, it was missing a key security feature: end-to-end encryption. At the time, Apple said it would wait until encryption was part of the RCS Universal Profile before bringing it to Messages.

Apple will, at long last, enabling end-to-end encryption for RCS messages, allowing iPhones and Android phones to text each other with the security encryption provides for the first time.

When Apple added RCS support to iOS 18, the company used an older version of the protocol. This caused chat messages between iPhone and Android users to be unencrypted. Fortunately, Apple has already agreed to update to the latest RCS protocol, thereby permanently fixing the issue.

The GSMA published a blog post to announce the new features coming to RCS. The iPhone is getting end-to-end encryption RCS messages via the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol:

In collaboration with the GSM Association, Apple today announced it will add support for end-to-end encryption for RCS messages.

Today, the GSMA made it official in the RCS Universal Profile 3.0, and, true to its word, Apple is already preparing to adopt the new profile, bringing full E2EE to RCS conversations between iPhone and Android users.

With the GSMA releasing new RCS specs, Apple pledges to 'add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software updates.'