# Apple is testing E2EE for RCS in iOS 26.4 Beta

**URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/apple-is-testing-e2ee-for-rcs-in-ios-26-4-beta/35571
**Category:** News
**Tags:** software, article
**Created:** 2026-02-17T11:15:24Z
**Posts:** 11

## Post 1 by @anon61753997 — 2026-02-17T11:15:24Z

> **[Everything New in iOS 26.4 Beta 1](https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ios-26-4-beta-features/)**
>
> Apple today provided developers with the first beta of an upcoming iOS 26.4 update, which adds quite a few new features to the iPhone. There's a...

> With iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and macOS Tahoe 26.4, Apple is testing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for ‌RCS‌ messages, a security feature that is not currently available for cross-platform messaging

 ![ios 26 4 rcs messaging](https://forum-uploads.privacyguidesusercontent.com/original/3X/6/6/66a54783a95f6a2326d66c91816fa15415bfd488.jpeg)

> Messages sent by ‌RCS‌ that have end-to-end encryption will feature a lock icon in the conversation interface. As of right now, Apple is testing iPhone-to-iPhone ‌RCS‌ encryption, with the feature set to roll out for ‌iPhone‌ and Android conversations in a future iOS 26 update.
> 
> Messages that feature E2EE will feature a lock icon in the conversation UI, both for iMessages and ‌RCS‌ Messages.

---

## Post 2 by @anon4124882 — 2026-02-17T11:16:34Z

Finally! Apple grows a brain cell on this. I still feel they could have done a lot more a lot sooner.

---

## Post 3 by @iluvprivacy — 2026-02-18T01:03:29Z

Would anyone serious about privacy and security use it though? I haven’t seen any evidence that RCS is any better than WhatsApp or FB Messenger.

---

## Post 4 by @fria — 2026-02-18T01:25:25Z

It’s replacing unencrypted SMS. So the idea is that by default, you’ll have E2EE instead of ever having to worry about sending an unencrypted message. Signal is almost certainly better of course but its an objective inprovement.

---

## Post 5 by @overdrawn98901 — 2026-02-18T03:47:07Z

I said this in another thread, but E2EE RCS allows users to hop from Apple to Android and still maintain security benefits offered from iMessage (or so I hypothesize to a parallel degree). This was my #1 reason why I maintain an iPhone, and now my time for GOS is coming.

---

## Post 6 by @birb — 2026-02-18T03:56:07Z

Nice!

Although, the picture says “Conversations labeled as encrypted are encrypted end-to-end, so messages can’t be read while they’re sent **between** devices.” Isn’t that what the TLS is, not E2EE?

---

## Post 7 by @overdrawn98901 — 2026-02-18T04:15:49Z

TLS is not E2EE, this [stackoverflow response](https://security.stackexchange.com/a/157293) explains better than me.

TLDR; TLS can terminate encryption ant the centralized server and re-encrypt the message to your intended other end (your recipient). E2EE only allows the target recipient to decrypt, thus preserving message privacy from the middleman.

For RCS E2EE, metadata is still leaked to your provider, as they know where you are routing your message to.

---

## Post 8 by @birb — 2026-02-18T05:00:59Z

I see, thanks for the clarification. I forgot that messages generally have to go through a centralized server in order to get to the recipient.

---

## Post 9 by @Encounter5729 — 2026-02-18T09:31:36Z

> [@iluvprivacy](#):
>
> haven’t seen any evidence that RCS is any better than WhatsApp or FB Messenger.

I think Apple is more reliable than Meta.

---

## Post 10 by @iluvprivacy — 2026-02-18T12:09:35Z

The problem is that Apple doesn’t control every aspect of RCS when sent to an Android.

---

## Post 11 by @Encounter5729 — 2026-02-19T15:14:21Z

That’s true, but don’t they use the same protocol, the one by GSMA?

Would this protocol ensure that Google can’t break encryption?

What about metadata encryption?