Apple is finally making the whole ordeal of messaging Android users, aka green bubbles, more secure with end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging.
On Monday, Apple pushed out the encrypted messaging feature as part of a beta in iOS 26.5 for iPhone users. Per Apple, end-to-end encrypted Rich Communication Services (RCS), which replaces the less-secure and less-feature-rich Short Message Service (SMS), prevents messages from being read during transmission between devices. This means even if someone were to intercept your messages, they wouldn’t be able to view them properly. In other words, your booty calls and nudes are safe to send to green bubblers.
Users will see a lock icon next to the word “Encrypted” if a conversation with an RCS device is protected. “Encryption is on by default and will be automatically enabled over time for new and existing RCS conversations,” according to Apple.
Encrypted RCS messaging is still beta even though it’s turned on by default after the update. If you’re not seeing RCS messages with the lock icon, you’ll need to check that your carrier and the recipient’s device (which must be using the latest version of Google Messages) supports it.
Apple first announced plans to encrypt RCS messages end-to-end in March 2025. “End-to-end encryption is a powerful privacy and security technology that iMessage has supported since the beginning, and now we are pleased to have helped lead a cross-industry effort to bring end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile published by the GSMA,” Apple told The Verge at the time.
If you have a compatible iPhone, there’s no reason not to update to iOS 26.5 as soon as possible. As always, make sure you do a backup first in case anything goes wrong.
iOS 26.5 also adds the new Pride Luminance wallpaper that celebrates LGBTQ+ communities, announced last week.
iOS 26.5 also adds the new Pride Luminance wallpaper pic.twitter.com/X4tccqLsHB
— Ray Wong (@raywongy) May 11, 2026
End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging is a win for all consumers. As wireless carriers switch over to RCS, which allows compatibility with iMessage features like read receipts and emoji reaction tapbacks, it’s all the more vital that privacy is a top priority.
