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Apple Releases iOS 26.5 With Encrypted RCS Messaging Beta
Apple began rolling out iOS 26.5 on Monday, adding end-to-end encryption for RCS messages exchanged with Android users in the default Messages app. The feature is in beta, requires carrier support and the latest Google Messages app on the Android side, and is enabled by default where available.
May 11, 1:20 PM·2m read7 sources
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Apple released iOS 26.5 on Monday, introducing beta support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging between iPhones and Android devices. The change means messages sent through the default texting app to Android users can now be protected so neither Apple nor Google can read them in transit, matching the long-standing encryption used for iMessage conversations between Apple devices.
The encryption feature is rolling out gradually and depends on carrier participation as well as the Android user running the newest version of Google Messages. It is enabled by default where supported, with expanded availability expected to increase over time.
A lock icon and the word “Encrypted” appear at the top of qualifying chats. Users can verify the setting after installing the update by opening the Settings app, navigating to Apps then Messages, and scrolling to RCS Messaging. A green toggle indicates the beta encryption is active.
Conversations continue to display as iMessage, Text Message - RCS, or Text Message - SMS at the bottom of threads, with SMS chats remaining unencrypted.
The 1.61-gigabyte update also includes a new Pride Luminance wallpaper that dynamically refracts a spectrum of colors. In the Maps app, a Suggested Places feature now recommends locations based on recent searches and nearby trends. The same app update begins showing local ads as search suggestions tied to approximate location or current search terms, though Apple states the advertising data is not linked to an Apple account.
These additions follow earlier modernization of RCS support that brought higher-resolution images, read receipts and typing indicators to cross-platform chats. Until now those RCS conversations lacked encryption options available to iMessage users.
