Apple has confirmed that iPhone users in Canada will be getting end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging with iOS 26.5.
Of course, this only works with supported carriers and Android users using the latest version of Google Messages.
Now iPhone users will see a new lock icon in their RCS chats, which will indicate that it’s encrypted. Encryption is on by default and will automatically get enabled over time for new and existing RCS conversations.
End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging (beta) is coming to several Canadian carriers, including:
- Bell
- Chatr
- Fido
- Freedom Mobile
- Koodo
- Lucky Mobile
- Public Mobile
- Rogers
- SaskTel
- Telus
- Videotron
- Virgin Mobile
End-to-end RCS encryption is a highly sought-after feature since the release of RCS on iPhone. iPhone users will still get the green message bubble when texting Android users, but that new lock icon should give you a sense of ease. RCS messaging from Android users to other Android users has been encrypted for a while, and Apple users have been sending encrypted messages to each other via iMessage for years now. So it’s nice that iPhone and Android users will finally be able to send each other encrypted messages.
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) secures messages by converting them into an unreadable code that only the sender and recipient can decrypt, using keys stored solely on their devices. While it seems basic to the user, there’s a lot going on in the background.
Image Credit: Apple
