Encrypted RCS messaging coming quickly to iPhone-Android chats

Abstract

iPhone customers will quickly be capable of ship end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to Android customers.
That is due to the brand new RCS customary, Common Profile 3.0, which incorporates end-to-end encryption based mostly on the Messaging Layer Safety protocol.
Apple says it’s going to embody the brand new RCS customary in a future software program replace, however no timeline has been supplied.

With iOS 18, Apple applied RCS messaging, which permits iPhone customers to ship Android users high-quality media, react to textual content messages, have higher group chat performance, and extra. Nonetheless, one key ingredient lacking from Apple’s implementation of RCS was end-to-end encryption (E2EE). That’s lastly about to vary.

The GSMA has announced its newest RCS customary, Common Profile 3.0, which is able to embody end-to-end encryption based mostly on the Messaging Layer Safety (MLS) protocol. Which means will probably be safer when an iPhone person sends an RCS textual content to an Android person and vice versa. This replace marks the primary time interoperable encryption will probably be enabled between totally different platform suppliers, a major milestone in cellular communications.

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iPhone customers will nonetheless have to attend a bit longer

The brand new RCS customary is coming in a future software program replace

The brand new RCS Universal Profile 3.0 will probably be rolling out to iPhone customers as a part of a future software program replace, however Apple has not but supplied a timeline. The corporate has confirmed it’s within the works.

“We are going to add help for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software program updates,” mentioned Apple spokesperson Shane Bauer (by way of The Verge).

Apple was part of growing the brand new RCS customary and labored with the GSMA (World System for Cellular Communications Affiliation) and different “cellular operators, system producers, and know-how suppliers” to develop the brand new RCS Common Profile 3.0 customary.

After all, this is not the primary time iPhone customers have had end-to-end encryption for messaging. iMessage has lengthy supported it, which signifies that texting between iPhone customers has at all times been safe; it was solely with Android customers that there was a spot, which is able to quickly be closed. Google mentioned in an announcement (by way of The Verge) that it’s going to work “as rapidly as attainable with the cellular ecosystem to implement and prolong this vital person safety to cross-platform RCS messaging.”