Apple and Google Add E2EE to RCS

Apple’s iOS 26.5 enables end‑to‑end encryption for RCS conversations with Android (using the Messaging Layer Security protocol and RCS Universal Profile 3.0), after collaboration with Google and the GSM Association; the feature is on by default but remains beta and requires carrier support on both sides. The update also brings cross‑platform features like editing, Tapback support, and inline replies, narrowing the security feature gap between iMessage and Android messaging. — This shifts the balance of power and privacy in mobile messaging: it reduces a key technical justification for platform lock‑in, affects law‑enforcement and surveillance debates, and alters competition between Apple, Google, carriers, and regulators.