End-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages on iPhones may be on the horizon sooner than expected. Code discovered in the early iOS 26 betas shows that Apple is assessing the secure protocols required to introduce encrypted messaging for RCS, closing a significant divide between iOS and Android messaging.

This implies that RCS messages will obtain the same level of security that iMessage has enjoyed for years. With E2EE, every message—be it text, image, or any other file type—is encrypted on your device prior to transmission across the network, and can only be decrypted on the recipient’s device, guaranteeing privacy.

This represents a notable advancement in the ongoing text-messaging rivalry between iOS and Android. After years of hesitation, Apple has finally consented to endorse RCS through the GSM Association, providing users on both platforms with improved texting capabilities such as emoji reactions and high-quality media. However, despite iMessage’s long-standing incorporation of E2EE, RCS on iPhones has remained rudimentary—still unripe, still not encrypted.

Now, Android Authority reports that iOS 26 features code alluding to the same secure group messaging protocol and security layer utilized by Google in Messages, indicating that Apple is gearing up for encrypted RCS conversations. While the feature might not debut with iOS 26 in September and could be postponed to a subsequent update like 26.1, there is hope that E2EE will arrive sooner rather than later.

If actualized, this would be the closest Apple has come to achieving messaging equality with Android. Green bubbles will remain, but they may finally be secure.