Apple is taking another step to enhance the security of messaging between iPhone and Android users, adding end-to-end encryption (E2EE ) to RCS on its devices, which is expected to arrive with iOS 26. This feature will make RCS conversations more secure, but it's missing the most important element: End-to-end security. Apple first supported RCS in iOS 18, allowing for high-quality photo sharing, message interaction, and advanced group chats, but it wasn't fully protected.
According to leaks, Apple has begun testing encryption using the MLS protocol, the same one adopted by Google in Google Messages, making RCS the first global messaging service to support secure cross-platform compatibility. While Apple hasn't set an official release date, the presence of the feature in beta makes it more likely that it will roll out with iOS 26 or a subsequent sub-update such as iOS 26.1. However, Apple is not expected to support all the features of Universal Profile 3.0, as it is now focusing on security and encryption as its first priority.
In your opinion, Apple's move to encryption by abandoning RCS is a real competitor to WhatsApp and Telegram, and not just a minor feature for messaging between iPhone and Android?