Update Your iPhone Now for Better Encrypted Messaging With Android

Last year’s rollout of iOS 26 was striking, with the translucent Liquid Glass aesthetic. Apple has since iterated connected its smartphone’s software, though immoderate users proceed to dependable their displeasure. If you’ve held out, this latest version—iOS 26.5—includes a caller diagnostic that’s worthy updating your smartphone for close now: end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging.

Apple rolled retired the latest mentation of its iPhone operating strategy connected Monday. Now, if an iPhone proprietor sends oregon receives greenish bubbles, aka RCS texts, successful Apple’s Messages app with an Android owner, those chats whitethorn beryllium encrypted. “Conversations labeled arsenic encrypted are encrypted end-to-end, truthful messages can’t beryllium work portion they’re sent betwixt devices,” reads an aboriginal mentation of the settings page. Apple is launching this diagnostic arsenic a beta, and its existent availability depends connected your instrumentality and carrier.

Texts betwixt Apple devices successful the Messages app, aka iMessages, person been encrypted since launch, but chats with Android devices were not protected successful the aforesaid way. Apple precocious upgraded non-iMessages from SMS to RCS and modernized the backend—enabling richer features erstwhile texting anyone connected Android, similar higher-resolution images, work receipts, and typing indicators—but these chats inactive lacked encryption options. The iOS 26.5 upgrade fixes this with cross-platform encryption successful the iPhone’s default texting app.

How Do I Know If It’s On?

After you update your iPhone, the mounting should beryllium enabled by default if it's disposable connected your instrumentality and carrier. Check by opening your Settings app, past going to the Apps and Messages tabs. Scroll down until you spot RCS Messaging nether the Text Messaging options and click connected it. This is the leafage wherever you tin spot if the beta mentation of end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging is on—the toggle volition amusement greenish if it's enabled.

Now, you tin cheque what benignant of chat a speech is by opening your Messages app and locating the grey substance displayed successful that substance container astatine the bottommost of the screen. It’ll either work iMessage, Text Message - RCS, oregon Text Message - SMS. You whitethorn spot a tiny fastener icon arsenic portion of the connection thread erstwhile starting a caller RCS speech aft this update. Conversations labeled arsenic “SMS” volition not beryllium changed.

RCS messaging is not disposable for each carrier, though the large US carriers—like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T—all enactment the texting protocol. Not definite if yours is covered? Check retired Apple’s enactment leafage for a afloat database of diagnostic availability by carrier.

What Else Is New Here?

The different changes successful iOS 26.5 are reasonably minor. Based connected details from the beta release, ads are apt to commencement appearing successful the Maps app arsenic hunt suggestions erstwhile you look up a edifice oregon someplace else. Changes to the Maps app besides see the summation of “Suggested Places,” which urge spots to deed up based connected your searches and adjacent trends. The latest iOS besides includes Pride-themed wallpapers, since June is close astir the corner.

While it's worthy updating your iPhone to iOS 26.5 for the much unafraid messaging features, much sweeping changes to the smartphone bundle volition get successful the fall. Apple, if it follows the signifier of past releases, is expected to unveil the afloat revamped version, iOS 27, successful June astatine its WWDC developer conference, making the update disposable for everyone to download aboriginal this year.