Android and iPhone Texts Can Finally Be End-to-End Encrypted

For the first time, text messages exchanged between Android phones and iPhones can be fully end-to-end encrypted. This finally closes a security gap that’s been around since these platforms started messaging each other decades ago.

This change comes with iOS 26.5, Apple’s latest software update. It adds support for end-to-end encryption in RCS (Rich Communication Services), which is the modern texting standard replacing old SMS. Now, iPhone and Android users can enjoy encrypted conversations. Google has been pushing Apple to make this happen for years.

Why This Took So Long

Simply put, Apple and Google needed to agree on a shared encryption standard. That kind of cooperation between companies often takes time.

RCS has been around for years and already provides end-to-end encryption for messages between two Android users using Google Messages. Apple introduced basic RCS support to iPhones in iOS 18, which improved cross-platform texting with better photo quality, read receipts, and typing indicators. However, that initial rollout didn’t include encryption across platforms.

Think of it like two people using different brands of combination locks. Each lock works fine alone, but if they have different mechanisms, they can’t secure a shared box. Apple and Google had to agree on a common locking standard for cross-platform encrypted messaging to work.

Now, that standard is in place. The GSMA, which sets mobile industry standards, finalized the encryption specification for RCS, and both Apple and Google have implemented it.

What Actually Changes

Before this update, messages sent between iPhones and Android phones traveled as RCS texts but without encryption. This meant your carrier or anyone who intercepted the message could potentially read it. With end-to-end encryption, messages get scrambled before they leave your phone and can only be unscrambled on the recipient’s device.

This doesn’t automatically apply to every cross-platform conversation. According to 9to5Mac, encryption support depends on your carrier. Not all carriers have enabled this feature yet, so your experience might vary based on your phone plan. Apple confirmed that eligible conversations will show a lock icon, indicating the message is encrypted.

Group chats involving both Android and iPhone users are also included under the new standard. This is great news since these mixed conversations are quite common.

Who Needs to Update

If you use an iPhone, you’ll need to install iOS 26.5 to access this feature. Android users on Google Messages already have the necessary infrastructure in place. The encryption works automatically once both sides support it — no extra settings or apps to download.

What This Means

For most people, this is a big privacy upgrade that requires no effort. If you’ve ever texted someone on the other platform and wondered about the privacy of your messages, you can now feel secure — as long as your carrier supports it and you’re on iOS 26.5 or later.

This also matters for those who’ve been using apps like WhatsApp or Signal because they wanted secure cross-platform messaging. While those apps are still great options, switching is now easier: regular texting is finally improving in terms of security.

Keep in mind, this only applies to RCS messages. If your phone reverts to SMS (the older text format) for any reason, those messages won’t be encrypted. You can check by looking for the lock icon in supported conversations.

What People Are Saying

“Finally. I’ve been telling my family to use Signal for years just so we could have private group chats. Maybe now I can get them back on regular texting.”

— u/pktaylor88, r/apple

“Android users have had this between themselves for ages. Glad it’s finally extended to iMessage crossover. The green bubble stigma was always dumb but the security gap was a real issue.”

— Comment on Android Authority YouTube video covering the announcement

What To Watch

• Carrier rollout: The biggest variable now is which carriers have turned on encrypted RCS. Expect more carriers to enable this in the weeks after iOS 26.5’s release. Check 9to5Mac’s running list of supported carriers for updates.
• iOS 26.5 adoption rate: The quicker iPhone users update, the faster encrypted cross-platform texting becomes standard. Apple usually sees strong update adoption within a few weeks of release.
• Group chat behavior: Real-world testing of mixed group chats (some iPhone, some Android) will show whether encryption holds up consistently across different carrier combinations. This is something to keep an eye on in user reports over the coming weeks.
• Competing platforms: Samsung and other Android manufacturers that use their own default messaging apps will need to adopt the same GSMA standard to fully participate. Google Messages leads the way, but it’ll be interesting to see if others follow suit.

Sources: TechCrunch, 9to5Mac, Android Authority