APPLE has introduced end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging in the iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 developer beta, with testing planned ahead of a wider rollout across iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS. According to the iOS and iPadOS 26.4 release notes, the feature is not shipping in this release and will be available to customers in a future software update, with end-to-end encryption in beta and not yet available for all devices or carriers.
In the initial test, RCS encryption is available only for testing between Apple devices, and conversations labelled as encrypted are protected while in transit. A new toggle in the Settings app enables testing of end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging, and the toggle is enabled by default, though Apple says the capability will gradually roll out to beta users throughout the testing period.
The article notes that the encrypted Conversations are not yet testable with other platforms, and that RCS remains the modern successor to SMS/MMS, using data or Wi‑Fi rather than basic cellular signalling. The report references statements from the release notes and reports from 9to5mac.