https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/rcs-texting-updates-will-bring-end-to-end-encryption-to-green-bubble-chats/

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off to the rcs

RCS texting updates will bring end-to-end encryption to green bubble
chats

Lack of encryption was one SMS shortcoming that RCS was created to
solve.

Andrew Cunningham - Mar 14, 2025 2:40 pm | 54
[messages-imessage-640x360] [messages-imessage-1152x648]
Credit: Apple/Andrew Cunningham
Credit: Apple/Andrew Cunningham
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One of the best mostly invisible updates in iOS 18 was Apple's
decision to finally implement the Rich Communications Services (RCS)
communication protocol, something that is slowly helping to fix the
generally miserable experience of texting non-iPhone users with an
iPhone. The initial iOS 18 update brought RCS support to most major
carriers in the US, and the upcoming iOS 18.4 update is turning it on
for a bunch of smaller prepaid carriers like Google Fi and Mint
Mobile.

Now that Apple is on board, iPhones and their users can also benefit
from continued improvements to the RCS standard. And one major update
was announced today: RCS will now support end-to-end encryption using
the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, a standard finalized by
the Internet Engineering Task Force in 2023.

"RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support
interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different
providers," writes GSMA Technical Director Tom Van Pelt in the post
announcing the updates. "Together with other unique security features
such as SIM-based authentication, E2EE will provide RCS users with
the highest level of privacy and security for stronger protection
from scams, fraud and other security and privacy threats. "

Apple confirmed to The Verge and other outlets that it plans to
support the updated RCS standard and end-to-end encryption over RCS
"in future software updates." The company wasn't specific about a
timeline, though--the change could come to an update to iOS 18 in the
next few months, or it could be held for the iOS 19 update that Apple
will probably release this fall.

Google has supported end-to-end encryption over RCS for years now,
but only for one-to-one conversations or group chats between Android
users using the Google Messages app.

Apple's iMessage service has supported end-to-end encryption since
its creation, and it was one of the selling points of the service for
the privacy-minded. Apple improved that encryption last year, adding
a second layer of encryption (known as PQ3) on top of the encryption
the service was already using. Alternate platform-agnostic texting
services like Signal, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger also offer
end-to-end encryption.

Photo of Andrew Cunningham
Andrew Cunningham Senior Technology Reporter
Andrew Cunningham Senior Technology Reporter
Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus
on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of
operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in
Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue.
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