iOS 26.5 turns on default end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging between iPhones and Androids.
- iOS 26.5 enables default end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging with Android
- Apple calls this a joint effort with carriers and Google Messages
- Messages now use the same encryption you get with iMessage
Apple released iOS 26.5 on Monday, quietly rolling out end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging to iPhone users when they chat with Android owners. The feature turns on automatically for anyone running iOS 26.5 on a supported carrier and using the latest Google Messages app on Android. Before this, iPhones sent texts to Android phones as plain SMS or MMS, which aren’t encrypted end-to-end and often split into green bubbles. Now those same chats run through RCS with the same lock icon and encryption you see in iMessage chats.
What changed in iOS 26.5
Apple calls this a ‘cross-industry effort’ to phase out the old SMS system and replace it with RCS, a modern messaging standard that supports read receipts, typing indicators, and higher-quality media sharing. The company first announced RCS encryption in iOS 25.4 last year, but it stayed in beta until now. With iOS 26.5, Apple says the encryption is on by default and won’t require users to flip any switches.
Carrier support matters here. Apple says major carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have signed on, but if your carrier hasn’t upgraded its systems yet, RCS messages might still fall back to SMS. Google Messages on Android already supports RCS and its built-in encryption, so as long as both sides are updated, the chats should stay locked up end-to-end.
Why this matters for security
Text messages sent over SMS travel through carriers’ servers unencrypted, which means phone companies, hackers, or anyone with access to the network could read them. RCS with end-to-end encryption changes that. Apple’s move means iPhone users no longer have to choose between green bubbles and secure chats when messaging Android users. The encryption also covers photos, videos, and group chats that used to be sent as unsecured MMS.
Apple isn’t abandoning SMS entirely. If a recipient’s phone or carrier doesn’t support RCS, messages will still go through as SMS or MMS, but without encryption. That means some chats will still use the old system for a while, especially in regions where carriers haven’t caught up.
How to check if it’s working
After updating to iOS 26.5, open a chat with an Android user. If the messages appear in blue bubbles and show a lock icon when you tap them, RCS with encryption is active. If they’re green bubbles without the lock, the message is still going through SMS. On Android, open Google Messages, tap your profile picture, then ‘Messages settings’ and ‘RCS chats’ to confirm it’s enabled. If it’s off, toggle it on and wait a minute for the connection to update.
What happens next
Apple says this is just the start. The company plans to keep improving RCS support, including better compatibility with older Android phones and carriers in more countries. Google has already been pushing RCS for years through its Messages app, and Samsung, OnePlus, and other Android makers have adopted it too. With Apple onboard, RCS could finally replace SMS as the default way phones message each other worldwide. The shift won’t happen overnight, but this update makes encrypted chats between iPhones and Androids the new normal for millions of users.
What You Need to Know
- Source: The Hacker News
- Published: May 12, 2026 at 05:18 UTC
- Category: Security
- Topics: #hackernews · #security · #vulnerabilities · #mobile · #apple · #iphone
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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 12, 2026
🇧🇷 Resumo em Português
O Brasil, que lidera o ranking global de uso de smartphones no mundo, acaba de ganhar uma novidade que promete revolucionar a forma como milhões de brasileiros se comunicam: a partir do iOS 26.5, os iPhones passaram a oferecer, por padrão, mensagens RCS com criptografia de ponta a ponta ao se comunicarem com dispositivos Android, uma mudança que aproxima o ecossistema da Apple do padrão já adotado por grande parte dos usuários no país.
A atualização, embora não seja tão divulgada quanto outras novidades da Apple, tem repercussão direta no Brasil, onde o RCS (Rich Communication Services) já é amplamente utilizado por meio de apps como WhatsApp e Telegram, justamente por oferecer recursos como confirmação de leitura, compartilhamento de arquivos em alta qualidade e chamadas de voz e vídeo integradas — funcionalidades que o SMS tradicional não proporciona. Especialistas em segurança digital destacam que a criptografia de ponta a ponta, agora ativada por padrão entre iPhones e Androids via RCS, reduz significativamente o risco de interceptação de mensagens, um problema cada vez mais comum em um país onde o uso de mensagens instantâneas supera o de ligações telefônicas.
Com essa mudança, a Apple não apenas alinha sua plataforma à realidade do mercado brasileiro, mas também reforça a privacidade dos usuários, que passam a contar com um nível de proteção antes restrito a quem usava apps de terceiros — uma tendência que deve pressionar outras empresas a adotarem medidas semelhantes.
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