The GSM Association (GSMA), the organization responsible for developing the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard, announced on Tuesday that it is working to implement end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for messages sent between Android and iPhone devices, though no specific timeline for the implementation has been provided.
The news comes on the heels of Apple's recent adoption of RCS with the launch of iOS 18, which replaced SMS with RCS messaging for texts sent to Android users. While the update brings improvements such as high-resolution media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators, it notably lacks end-to-end encryption.
GSMA technical director Tom Van Pelt said that the next milestone for RCS Universal Profile is the "first deployment of standardized, interoperable messaging encryption between different computing platforms." This move aims to bridge a significant gap in cross-platform messaging security.
Currently, not all RCS providers offer E2EE. Google Messages, which enabled E2EE by default for RCS conversations last year, is one of the exceptions. Apple's proprietary iMessage system also features E2EE, but this protection does not extend to RCS messages.
The implementation of E2EE for cross-platform RCS messages would prevent third parties, such as messaging services or cell carriers, from viewing the content of texts. This added layer of security would also prevent state surveillance of citizens' RCS communications.
