- RCS messages between iOS and Android do not currently support end-to-end encryption (E2EE).
- The GSMA voices its support for addressing this by adding E2EE to the RCS Universal Profile.
- Google has already shown some signs of getting ready for a move like that, building Messaging Layer Security (MLS) into its Messages app.
This week has been a big one for mobile connectivity, as with the release of iOS 18, Apple users en masse are beginning to communicate via RCS, the modern messaging standard intent on creating a feature-rich, level playing field for everyone. For Android users who have long felt like second-class citizens in the eyes of their blue-bubble friends and family, this is one advancement that’s been a long time coming (even if those green bubbles aren’t going anywhere). But for as momentous as crossing this threshold has been, there’s still lots of work to be done, and one of the most important messaging features around still needs to make the evolution to cross-platform support.
If you’re on Android and message another Android user over RCS, Google is going to secure your chat with end-to-end encryption (E2EE), so that not even your carrier can read what you’re sending. That works for group chats, just as well as one-on-one conversations, but Google’s implementation is a bit of a custom job that exists on top of vanilla RCS — the RCS Universal Profile.