iOS 26.5 adds end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging, rolling out now

iOS 26.5 is now available to everyone after six weeks of beta testing. The update adds new wallpapers, new features to Apple Maps, and more.

Perhaps most notably, iOS 26.5 adds end-to-end encryption support for RCS messaging. Apple says the feature, which is still in beta, will be rolled out gradually over the coming months…

Apple first added RCS support to the iPhone with iOS 18.1, enabling richer cross-platform messaging between iPhone and Android users. This included features such as typing indicators, read receipts, and high-resolution photo and video attachments.

Back in March, Apple announced plans to add end-to-end encryption support for RCS messages. Apple began beta testing the feature with iOS 26.4 earlier this year, and it’s now starting to roll out to everyone as part of iOS 26.5.

Apple still considers RCS encryption a beta feature in iOS 26.5. It is enabled by default. You can turn it on or off by going to Settings > Messages > RCS Messaging and looking for the new “End-to-end encryption (beta)” toggle.

Apple says end-to-end encryption with RCS is available from supported carriers and will roll out to additional carriers over time. You can see which carriers support RCS end-to-end encryption on this webpage.

However, Apple adds that the feature will be rolled out gradually over the coming months. Even if a carrier is listed on the web page above as supported, the feature may not be immediately available to all users of that carrier. As RCS end-to-end encryption is rolled out, Apple says it will be automatically enabled for new and existing conversations.

Apple also updated the Messages app interface to support RCS encryption support. When you message someone with RCS encryption enabled, you’ll see a new lock icon at the top of the chat thread. Android users will see the same lock icon on their chat threads. This lock also lets you know for sure that the feature has been rolled out to your carrier and device.

The lock icon also appears for all iMessage threads, as iMessage has supported end-to-end encryption since 2011.

Apple’s addition of support for end-to-end encryption is a major update to its RCS implementation. You can update to iOS 26.5 today by going to Settings, choosing General, then choosing Software Update.

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