GSMA, the organization responsible for overseeing the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard, has confirmed that Apple devices now support RCS messaging with the release of iOS 18.
This marks the “culmination of years of collaboration” among mobile operators, device manufacturers, and tech providers, according to Tom Van Pelt, Technical Director of GSMA.
Focus on Universal Profile and E2EE
Tom Van Pelt highlighted the next important step for RCS, which is the integration of end-to-end encryption (E2EE) within the Universal Profile.
This will mark the first deployment of standardized, interoperable encryption across different platforms, addressing challenges like key federation and cryptographically-enforced group membership.
Van Pelt emphasized that users will benefit from stronger security protections, including safeguards against scams and fraud.
Apple’s RCS Rollout
This announcement follows Apple’s iOS 18 update, released on Monday, which replaced SMS with RCS for messages sent to Android users.
Although the green bubbles remain, iPhone users can now send high-resolution media, see read receipts, and view typing indicators in cross-platform conversations.
However, as The Verge reported, Apple’s version of RCS lacks E2EE. While Google Messages offers E2EE by default for RCS chats, Apple’s iMessage system only applies encryption to its proprietary service, not RCS.
Moving Toward Cross-Platform Encryption
For E2EE to work between Android and iOS, it must be integrated into the RCS Universal Profile. GSMA has confirmed that this is part of its future plans, with Google also showing support.
Elmar Weber, Google’s General Manager, shared on LinkedIn that Google has offered E2EE in Google Messages with RCS since 2020 and called E2EE a “critical component of secure messaging.” Google is committed to making E2EE standard for all RCS users, regardless of platform.
E2EE Across Platforms
The GSMA and Google are pushing for this development, with signs pointing to Messaging Layer Security (MLS) as a possible protocol for implementing E2EE across group chats.
Google has been working on integrating MLS into its messaging systems, though neither GSMA nor Google has given specifics on the timeline for rolling out these updates.
While messaging between iOS and Android has never been encrypted over SMS, expectations have changed. Users are looking forward to the inclusion of E2EE in RCS messaging, though the exact timeline remains unclear.
Speaking about RCS end-to-end encryption, Tom Van Pelt, Technical Director at GSMA, said,
We are eager to continue collaborating across the mobile ecosystem to advance the RCS standard with interoperable end-to-end encryption, ensuring all RCS messages remain private and secure. We are excited about the future of this technology.