Rich Communications Services (RCS) Archives

A new developer version of iOS and iPadOS that supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE) in Rich Communications Services (RCS) messages was made available by Apple on Monday. A future update for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS is anticipated to bring the feature to consumers. It is presently available for testing in the iOS and iPadOS 26.4 Beta. According to Apple's release notes, end-to-end encryption is still in development and isn't compatible with all devices or carriers. Encrypted conversations are encrypted from beginning to end, making it impossible to read communications as they are being transmitted between devices. Additionally, the iPhone manufacturer noted that RCS encryption is only available for talks between Apple devices and not on other platforms like Android. The...

With the goal to add much-needed security protections to cross-platform messages shared between the iOS and Android platforms, the GSM Association (GSMA) has publicly announced support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for safeguarding messages sent over the Rich Communications Services (RCS) protocol. E2EE is built on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol through what is known as the RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which is part of the new GSMA requirements for RCS. GSMA technical director Tom Van Pelt stated that the new specifications outline how to use MLS in the context of RCS. As messages and other files move between clients, these protocols guarantee that they stay private and safe. Additionally, this indicates that RCS will be the first "large-scale messaging service" to ...

Tag: Rich Communications Services (RCS)

Apple Tests End-to-End Encrypted RCS Messaging in iOS 26.4 Developer Beta

GSMA Confirms End-to-End Encryption for RCS Enabling Secure Cross-Platform Messaging