Apple has taken its soft time to integrate RCS support for its messaging platforms, but it failed to fully equip the iPhone with end-to-end encryption. In March, Apple promised to add the management of encrypted RCS messages from start to finish to the messages application, but so far, even in iOS 26 beta, messages remain not encrypted from one point to another, which means that there is always a potential threat. Apple published the third beta developer of iOS 26, iPados 26, MacOS 26 and Watchos 26 for test purposes, which can be downloaded from compatible devices via the Settings application.
Apple delayed deployed deployment of the encrypted RCS messaging casts doubt on its dedication to multiplateforme confidentiality standards
The end-to-end encryption management for RCS was announced in March as part of version 3.0 of the RCS universal profile, which is a global standard for the functionality and specifications of the platform. This means that Apple indirectly confirmed to adopt the latest version 3.0 of the RCS universal profile. In addition to encryption for improved confidentiality and security, version 3.0 also includes a range of IMEAGE type features, which have been introduced in version 2.7 of the RCS universal profile.
If you are not familiar with the upcoming changes with version 3.0 of the RCS universal profile, see the list below. You can see that most of these features are already part of the iPhone, iPad and MacOS and Apple application, accepting update would be better for the set of user spectrum, whether iOS or Android.
- Tapback support for RCS messages without bypass
- Ability to cancel messages
- Modify the messages sent
- Online responses
- End -to -end encryption for improved confidentiality and safety
Google spent months convinced Apple via advertisements and its mockery to delay RCS support on the iPhone. Although Apple did not move for a while, it quickly realized that adding the useful care would be better for all users, including iOS users, as this would allow them to better communicate with non -iOS devices. However, this also meant that Aimessage would lose its single market which only addresses its own ecosystem. From my point of view, Apple’s ecosystem is much wider than iMessage, and the addition of Android to the mixture would only improve it. Note that there is still a plethora of features that are exclusive to Imessage, and the company would continue to add more in future updates, that the Android messaging platforms will not be able to appreciate.
Apple added the RCS support with the launch of iOS 18 and the currently supported version is 2.4. The war between blue bubbles and green bubbles is an fiasco in progress and that it will never end, unless the Cupertino giant suddenly decides to bring Imessage to Android, which it will never do. We must also note that Apple could update to version 3.0 in future versions of iOS 26 beta or potentially with the final version, we can remain full of hope at this stage.
