Encrypted RCS messaging coming quickly to iPhone-Android chats

Abstract

iPhone customers will quickly have the ability to ship end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to Android customers.
That is because of the brand new RCS normal, Common Profile 3.0, which incorporates end-to-end encryption primarily based on the Messaging Layer Safety protocol.
Apple says it’ll embody the brand new RCS normal 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. Nevertheless, one key factor 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 normal, Common Profile 3.0, which is able to embody end-to-end encryption primarily based on the Messaging Layer Safety (MLS) protocol. Which means that it is going to be safer when an iPhone consumer sends an RCS textual content to an Android consumer and vice versa. This replace marks the primary time interoperable encryption might be enabled between totally different platform suppliers, a major milestone in cell communications.

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iPhone customers will nonetheless have to attend a bit longer

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

The brand new RCS Universal Profile 3.0 might 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’ll add help for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software program updates,” stated Apple spokesperson Shane Bauer (through The Verge).

Apple was part of growing the brand new RCS normal and labored with the GSMA (International System for Cell Communications Affiliation) and different “cell operators, gadget producers, and know-how suppliers” to develop the brand new RCS Common Profile 3.0 normal.

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 all the time been safe; it was solely with Android customers that there was a niche, which is able to quickly be closed. Google stated in a press release (through The Verge) that it’ll work “as shortly as doable with the cell ecosystem to implement and prolong this essential consumer safety to cross-platform RCS messaging.”