APPLE ADDS ENCRYPTED RCS MESSAGING TO IPHONE

The update enables encrypted conversations between iPhone and Android users on supported carriers. Apple and Google cannot access messages during transmission when encryption is active. Users will see a lock icon and "Encrypted" label at the top of chats to indicate when a conversation is protected. The feature requires carrier support to function. RCS (Rich Communication Services) has gradually replaced SMS as carriers phase out the older text protocol. Apple's adoption of encrypted RCS represents a significant shift, as the company previously relied on its proprietary iMessage for secure communications with other Apple users. The move aligns with industry standards and addresses long-standing requests from users seeking security parity across platform messaging. The feature is currently available in beta through iOS 18.5.