iOS Adds E2EE RCS to iOS 26.5

gristle-cause

This is a post for folks who use GOS for cellular-based text messaging

Apple will be adding support for RCS E2EE on iOS 26.5, likely to be released next week

E2EE RCS text messages are encrypted in transit, adding a layer of privacy & security unavailable on traditional SMS messaging. From a usability/convenience perspective, RCS also makes the text messaging UX more pleasant, such as providing more robust MMS compatibility for media & group chats

E2EE RCS has been available for Google Messages for some time. However, messages to iPhone users have not historically enjoyed E2EE. Now, RCS users can enjoy E2EE with nearly all contacts

GOS users can take advantage of this broad E2EE RCS texting by installing sandboxed Google Play Services & configuring Google Messages as their RCS client. At this time, Google Messages is the only RCS client available on GOS. Refer to this thread if you need assistance

GOS users who use cellular text messaging, and take pride in a phone setup running no Google Play Services, now face a dilemma. E2EE texting is an undeniable security & privacy improvement over SMS. But it does not seem as though a degoogled RCS client is on the horizon, and the cost of reentering the Google ecosystem carries its own privacy risks. To compound the issue, once iPhone rolls out this update, messaging non-RCS users will be a privacy & security burden - adding you to text conversations will break E2EE for all participants. Not to mention, you will be the sole contact who breaks group chats & cannot receive large multimedia messages

gristle-cause

I have personally enjoyed using a phone without Play Services running constantly in the background, but do not know if I can justify continuing to do so when using a FOSS SMS client will degrade the security of my cellular communications. Not just for myself, but for everyone I message

Signal is, of course, the preferred solution. But I am still forced to rely on cellular messaging for many communications, just as I presume many others are

Developer-Dude

Now all we need is a FOSS messaging app with RCS...

gristle-cause

Developer-Dude unfortunately, I dont think this is feasible yet. RCS is still a closed standard. We are waiting for Google to benevolently release protocol specs to the public

inffy

gristle-cause RCS is already a standard on the GSMA.

Also for iOS your carrier needs to implement RCS support on their end. On Android those messages are transferred through Googles Jibe service (or whatever it's called).

So even if iOS 26.5 implements the encryption there are still lot of countries especially in Europe where no carrier has RCS support on iPhones.