2 weeks Ago By Laurent Giret
With the release of iOS 18 yesterday, Apple finally added support for RCS messages on iPhones. RCS is the carrier-developed messaging standard designed to replace SMS messages, and to improve messaging between iPhones and Android phones. The RCS standard supports modern messaging features such as high-quality media sharing, seamless group messaging, read receipts, and typing indicators.
However, RCS is a carrier-provided service, so the availability of the new messaging standard varies by region and carrier. Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift! On Android, Google’s Messages app has built-in support for RCS.
Google also added end-to-end encryption for all RCS messages between Google Messages users. However, Apple’s implementation of RCS is based on the industry’s standard, which doesn’t include end-to-end encryption yet. Earlier this year, Apple told that it was working with members of the GSM Association (GSMA) to improve the security and encryption of RCS messages.
Unlike Google’s proprietary implementation of end-to-end encryption in its Messages app, Apple also said it was interested in a standardized encryption solution. Today, the GSMA said in a that Apple adding RCS support on iOS 18 was a “significant milestone,” but added that the messaging standard hasn’t reached its full potential yet. The non-profit industry organization encouraged its members to continue working on advancing RCS with “interoperable” end-to-end encryption.
“The next major milestone is for the RCS Universal Profile to add important user protections such as interoperable end-to-end encryption,” wrote Tom Van Pelt, Technical Director, GSMA. “This will be the first deployment of standardized, interoperable messaging encryption between different computing platforms, addressing significant technical challenges such as key federation and cryptographically-enforced group membership. Additionally, users will benefit from stronger protections from scam, fraud, and other security threats.
” As of today, proprietary messaging apps such as Apple’s iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram all support end-to-end encryption. And they’re pretty much available on any device, unlike RCS, which has yet to be supported by all carriers. iOS 18 adding RCS support will certainly encourage the adoption of the new messaging standard.
Still, it could be some time before end-to-end encryption is built into the RCS Universal Profile. If you have an iPhone and you’re curious about how to use RCS messages, you’ll probably first need to check if your carrier supports RCS on iOS 18. In the US, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon already support RCS, and this lists all carriers around the world that support the new messaging standard.
Laurent is a Senior News Editor at Thurrott.com. He's been writing about the tech industry for many years and his favorite topics to cover include Big Tech, media, and gaming.
He was also the former Editorial Manager of the from 2022 to 2023. Join the crowd where the love of tech is real - become a Thurrott Premium Member today! Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday.
