Apple has started to make moves on something that's been on the table for a while: the RCS encryption on iOS 26.4. The first beta for developers This version of the operating system introduces the technical foundations for better protecting messages that travel through this standard, although for the moment it is a very controlled deployment and clearly intended as a test.
The move comes at a time when the Messaging between iPhone and Android is gaining traction In everyday use, especially in Europe, where both platforms coexist at almost 50% usage. With iOS 26.4, Apple not only continues to fine-tune RCS compatibility, but also begins testing how to bring a level of security similar to iMessage to this protocol without forcing users to change their routines.
For now, this feature is limited to those who install the iOS 26.4 beta from specific carriers and will not be part of the final features of the stable version. The company itself has made it clear that the End-to-end encryption for RCS will be enabled later, in a future update within the iOS 26 cycle, once testing is complete and network compatibility is guaranteed.
In parallel, this beta serves as a testing ground for other security-focused changes, such as Protection against Stolen Devices is enabled by defaultAnd to continue refining Apple's service ecosystem, but the spotlight in messaging is on the new experiment with RCS.
What is Apple testing with encrypted RCS in iOS 26.4?
The key new feature in this beta is the ability to test the end-to-end encryption (E2EE) applied to RCS messagesUntil now, this protection was reserved for iMessage within the Apple ecosystem and RCS conversations between Android devices, leaving a weak point in mixed communications between platforms.
With iOS 26.4 a new option in the Settings section This feature allows you to activate testing with encrypted RCS messages. On iPhones that install the beta, this option is already enabled by default, but that doesn't mean all users can use it from the start: Apple controls the rollout from its own servers and is making it available gradually.
In this first phase, RCS encryption is limited to conversations between iPhones when iMessage is turned offIn other words, the company is internally testing how the encrypted RCS standard behaves within its own environment before integrating it with Android phones. This is useful for both developers and operators who want to validate its behavior on real networks.
When encryption is active, the Messages app indicates protection with a padlock icon visible in the threadThat same symbol is already used in iMessage chats, so the user can quickly identify which conversations are end-to-end protected and which are not.
In the developer documentation, Apple emphasizes that this is a «limited initial testIn fact, the company itself explains in a support document that it does not plan to widely distribute the E2EE standard for RCS with the final version of iOS 26.4, but that general activation will come "in a future update" once these trials are completed.
How does encrypted RCS fit into Apple's strategy?
The movement around RCS encryption on iOS 26.4 This is neither isolated nor improvised. Apple incorporated RCS messaging support into the iPhone with iOS 18.x, already enabling features such as typing indicators, read receipts, and the sending of high-resolution photos and videos when contacting Android users. However, a serious security reinforcement outside of iMessage was lacking.
At the beginning of the year, the company confirmed its intention to add end-to-end encryption to RCS messaging in collaboration with the GSMA, the association responsible for the standard. The stated goal is for communication between iOS and Android to achieve a level of protection comparable to that of internal chats within the Apple ecosystem, without requiring anyone to install additional applications.
On a technical level, this beta also serves to prepare for the leap to RCS Universal Profile 3.0The latest specification published by the GSMA. This profile not only incorporates E2EE encryption, but also enables modern features such as editing sent messages, deleting them after sending, or directly replying to a specific message in a thread—something especially useful in mixed groups with users from different platforms.
Currently, iPhones rely on RCS profile 2.4, so the jump to version 3.0 represents a significant step forward in aligning with what many Android devices already offer, including those sold in Spain and the rest of Europe. Apple also emphasizes that Most operators that currently support RCS will be able to adopt the encryption without major changes to its infrastructure, which facilitates a more agile deployment when the time comes.
This step-by-step approach is consistent with how Apple typically handles fundamental changes in iOS: first, limited testing with developers, then adjustments based on the collected data, and only later, activation for the general public via a subsequent update if the results with the telecoms and the different devices are satisfactory.
Current limitations and projected timeline
From the user's perspective, it's important to be clear about what can be done with it today. RCS encryption in iOS 26.4 beta And what's still pending? Although the switch appears visible and activated in Settings, Apple is managing access centrally, so many people with the beta installed will see the option but still won't have RCS conversations marked as encrypted.
In this initial testing phase, encryption is limited to Apple devices running iOS 26.4 beta And it only comes into play when iMessage is disabled between participants. The reason is simple: iMessage has offered end-to-end encryption for years, so the purpose of these tests is to verify that RCS can match that level of protection outside the typical closed environment.
Apple has announced that the rollout of RCS encryption will be progressive throughout the beta phaseexpanding to more iPhone models and, in a second stage, to other systems such as iPadOS 26.4 and macOS Tahoe 26.4It is also envisioned that the Apple Watch may benefit later, so that messages managed from the watch maintain the same guarantees.
Regarding communications between iPhone and Android, the company has been clear: Cross-platform testing will come laterThere is no specific public date, but everything points to full Android compatibility being activated after the general release of iOS 26.4, in one of the following revisions within the same system cycle.
For users in Spain and other European countries, the pace will largely depend on the readiness of the carriers that already offer RCS. Apple maintains that most of them should be compatible with the encryption at the time of the official launch, although a slower rollout is not ruled out. phased rollout by market and operator, depending on how each integration progresses.
What does encrypted RCS offer compared to SMS and messaging apps?
The arrival of RCS encryption on iOS 26.4 This is better understood when compared to the veteran SMS, which has dominated mobile communications for decades. SMS lacks end-to-end encryption, has a very strict character limit, and barely allows sending anything more than plain text if MMS is excluded, which also doesn't offer security guarantees adapted to current times.
The RCS standard was created precisely to overcome these limitations and offer a experience closer to WhatsApp or Telegram: sending photos and videos with better quality, the ability to share location, voice messages, interactive buttons, rich replies and even access to video calls from the chat thread itself, all without the user having to install extra apps.
Unlike traditional messaging apps, RCS is integrated directly into the system and the operator's network. Any compatible mobile phone, from a basic Android to a recent iPhone, can use it in the default messaging app, provided their carrier supports the standard. integration at the operating system and carrier level It is one of their main arguments.
In the European context, where privacy regulations are stringent and there is increasing talk of interoperability between services, equipping the RCS with End-to-end encryption also on iOS It carries special weight. It allows messaging linked to phone numbers to approach OTT apps in terms of security and functionality, something relevant for users, public administrations, and businesses.
Apple explains that RCS encryption is based on the same premise used by services like Signal or iMessage itself: messages travel end-to-end protected so that Neither operators, nor intermediaries, nor Apple itself can access the content while being transmitted between devices. In an environment like the European Union, where data protection is a particularly sensitive issue, this type of guarantee is increasingly valued.
Impact on iPhone users in Spain and Europe
For those who use an iPhone in Spain, the impact of RCS encryption on iOS 26.4 It won't be immediate or spectacular. In practice, during the first few months only a small group of users—developers, testers, and more technical profiles—will have access to the tests, and always contingent on their operator's participation in the rollout.
In the medium term, however, Apple's decision to equate the security of RCS to that of iMessage This opens the door to more coherent messaging when talking to contacts who use Android. In markets like Spain, where iOS and Android share the device market, reducing the gap between platforms can prevent conversations from becoming fragmented across multiple apps.
For European telecoms, the move reinforces the value of the standard they helped to promote through the GSMA. RCS encrypted and officially supported by Apple This allows them to offer an advanced messaging service without relying so heavily on proprietary third-party solutions, which aligns with current discussions in Brussels on competition, interoperability, and platform neutrality.
That doesn't mean WhatsApp, Telegram, or other apps are going to disappear, but it does mean that phone number-based messaging is gaining traction when it comes to... Privacy, simplicity, and cross-brand compatibilityIn professional, institutional, or educational environments within the European Union, an open standard with strong encryption can be particularly attractive.
Once the rollout is mature, it is expected that an iPhone user in Spain will be able to maintain end-to-end encrypted RCS conversations both with other iPhones and with compatible Android phones, without worrying about which application the other party uses or configuring anything beyond what is enabled by default in the system.
Overall, the tests with RCS encryption on iOS 26.4 They point to a gradual but significant change: messaging that depends on the phone number and the mobile network is beginning to approach the most popular apps in terms of security and features, with a gradual rollout involving Apple, European operators and developers, and which may end up offering users in Spain and Europe a more uniform, secure and transparent way to communicate between iOS and Android.
