Apple Prepares to Offer End-to-End Encryption Between iPhone and Android

Apple is preparing to add end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to RCS messages, according to references in carrier bundles in iOS 26.3 beta 2. One such reference, spotted by @TiinoX83 on X, is to "SupportsE2EE," a setting that allows carriers to switch E2EE on or off.

So far, the setting has only been spotted in carrier bundles for France's four major providers: Bouygues, Orange, SFR, and Free. This implies that E2EE for RCS will likely be available first in select countries as providers roll out support.

To offer E2EE for RCS, iOS needs to support RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which the GSMA released in March 2025. These updated specs offer capabilities iPhone users typically see in iMessage, such as direct replies, the ability to edit sent messages, an unsend option, and full Tapback support.

Apple added basic RCS support via the iOS 18 beta in June 2024. According to ...