Enhanced Encryption in iOS 26.4: Testing Encrypted RCS Communication between iPhone and Android

iOS 26.4 beta 2 has been released for developers, bringing expanded support for testing encrypted RCS messaging on iPhones. In the previous beta release, support for testing RCS encryption was limited to iPhone-to-iPhone messaging. However, in iOS 26.4 beta 2, this support has now been extended to include messaging between iPhones and Android devices.

The rollout of RCS encryption testing is gradual for iPhone users on iOS 26.4 beta 2, while Android users will need to be on the latest beta version of the Google Messages app. Availability may vary depending on carriers.

Upon updating to iOS 26.4 beta 2, iPhone users can navigate to Settings > Messages > RCS Messaging to find the new “End-to-End Encryption (Beta)” toggle, which should be enabled by default.

Apple has also made interface updates to the Messages app to accommodate these changes. When messaging someone with RCS encryption enabled, a new lock icon will appear in the chat thread. Android users will also see this lock icon in their message threads.

The lock icon will also be displayed in all iMessage threads, as iMessage has supported end-to-end encryption since 2011.

It’s important to note that RCS end-to-end encryption will not be officially released as part of iOS 26.4. It is included in this beta for testing purposes, with Apple stating that it will be available in a future iOS 26 update.

Apple introduced RCS support to iPhones with iOS 18.1, enabling features like typing indicators and read receipts for messaging between iPhone and Android users. In March, Apple announced its intentions to add support for end-to-end encryption for RCS messages.

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