iPhones get RCS texts but no end-to-end encryption yet

The press release for Apple’s latest mobile operating system update, iOS18, this week revealed that RCS would now be available on iPhones, stating: “When messaging contacts who do not have an Apple device, the Messages app now supports RCS for richer media and more reliable group messaging compared to SMS and MMS.”

This means the somewhat stripped-down experience of sending texts between iPhones and Android phones should improve with features such as read receipts, group texts, typing notifications, and rich media.

As well as providing more functionality in text messages between individuals, another touted benefit involves advertising. According to a 2022 report by marketing firm Upstream, click-through rates (CTRs) are as high as 22.2% for adverts delivered via RCS, compared to around 2% for a typical online ad.

The GSMA was involved in establishing industry standards for RCS, and its website claims: “The overall vision of RCS is to provide subscribers and enterprises with additional communication options.”

The industry body this week said the next step is getting end-to-end encryption working between Android and iPhones.

“While this is a major milestone, it is just the beginning,” reads the press release. “The next major milestone is for the RCS Universal Profile to add important user protections such as interoperable end-to-end encryption.

"This will be the first deployment of standardized, interoperable messaging encryption between different computing platforms, addressing significant technical challenges such as key federation and cryptographically-enforced group membership. Additionally, users will benefit from stronger protections from scam, fraud, and other security threats.

“We look forward to continuing to collaborate across the mobile ecosystem to advance the RCS standard with interoperable end-to-end encryption to keep all RCS messages private and secure.”

Apple announced that it would make support available for iPhones late last year, a move presumably not unrelated to pressure from the EU in the form of the Digital Marketing Act, part of which is concerned with messaging interoperability.

In a climate where fears around security are rife, it might seem prudent for Apple to have got encryption up and running before adopting RCS. But perhaps the ‘significant technical challenges’ the GSMA alludes to mean that’s not happening anytime soon.