Apple brought RCS support to the iPhone’s Messages app with the iOS 18 update last September, effectively putting an end to the bubble wars. The green bubbles did not disappear from the iPhone all of a sudden, but iPhone and Android users could message each other using a much richer standard than SMS. The green bubble remained in place so that users could tell them apart from iMessage messages (the blue bubbles).
As I said more than once, I wasn’t necessarily a fan of getting RCS support on my iPhone and that it wouldn’t change my texting habits. Half a year later, this still holds true. I don’t really use RCS to talk to any of my friends and family who are Android users. WhatsApp is the chat app that bridges the two operating systems. WhatsApp is also the favorite chat app for some iPhone users in my group.
I want to use chat apps that offer end-to-end encryption, and both iMessage and WhatsApp satisfy that need. Strong encryption is key for strong security and privacy, and RCS didn’t support that on the iPhone.
Why do we need strong encryption? Because hackers are always working to intercept your data. Just remember last fall’s China hack of major US telecoms, when law enforcement officials advised everyone to rely on encrypted chat and voice apps while they dealt with the threat. RCS on iPhone did not qualify as a secure chat app at the time.
Fast-forward to Friday, and Apple announced that end-to-end encryption is coming to RCS on the iPhone. That’s terrific news. We knew encryption was in the works, and I’m not surprised to see it happen.
The GSMA published a blog post to announce the new features coming to RCS. The iPhone is getting end-to-end encryption RCS messages via the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol:
Most notably, the new specifications define how to apply MLS within the context of RCS. These procedures ensure that messages and other content such as files remain confidential and secure as they travel between clients. That means that RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers. Together with other unique security features, such as SIM-based authentication, E2EE will provide RCS users with the highest level of privacy and security for stronger protection from scams, fraud, and other security and privacy threats.
The GSMA also announced a new RCS Universal Profile 3.0 that brings other new features. Users will be able to talk to businesses over RCS “through a richer deep link format and includes additional smaller enhancements such as improved codecs for audio messaging and easier management of subscriptions with business messaging senders.”
That said, strong encryption isn’t available right away on iPhones. Apple still has to implement the new profile, and that will happen in the future via software updates. Apple confirmed it all to 9to5Mac:
End-to-end encryption is a powerful privacy and security technology that iMessage has supported since the beginning, and now we are pleased to have helped lead a cross industry effort to bring end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile published by the GSMA. We will add support for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software updates.
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