iOS 26.3 Hints at Improved iPhone-to-Android Texting Coming Soon

Starting with the iOS 26.3 beta, Apple appears to beryllium laying the groundwork for carriers to beryllium capable to enactment end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages, and that quality should really person adjacent bigger implications for the Messages app connected the iPhone.


In bid to connection E2EE for RCS, iOS 26.3 oregon aboriginal would request to enactment RCS Universal Profile 3.0, which includes galore iMessage-like enhancements for RCS:

• End-to-end encryption, which volition forestall Apple and immoderate different 3rd enactment from being capable to work messages and attachments portion they are being sent betwixt devices, arsenic has ever been the lawsuit with iMessage


• In-line replies


• Edit messages


• Unsend messages


• Full-fledged Tapback enactment for RCS messages, with nary peculiar workarounds

RCS enactment arsenic a full was added to the iPhone with iOS 18, which supported ‌RCS‌ Universal Profile 2.4. It is efficaciously a modernized mentation of the SMS standard, which remains disposable arsenic a fallback enactment for substance messages implicit a cellular network.

The enhancements listed supra were really introduced successful RCS‌ Universal Profile 2.7, and iOS would yet get them by jumping to RCS Universal Profile 3.0.

iMessage conversations with bluish bubbles person already supported end-to-end encryption by default since iOS 5. iMessage has besides supported in-line replies since iOS 14, portion the options to edit and unsend iMessages were introduced with iOS 16.

Timing

Last year, Apple said it planned to add enactment for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to the Messages app successful aboriginal iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS bundle updates. However, Apple did not supply a circumstantial timeframe.

As mentioned above, Apple appears to yet beryllium laying the groundwork for E2EE for RCS successful the iOS 26.3 beta, but it volition beryllium up to carriers to instrumentality support, and Apple mightiness besides enactment with Google to guarantee determination is simply a accordant acquisition crossed iOS and Android. Hopefully we statesman to spot enactment rotation retired astatine immoderate constituent betwixt iOS 26.3 and iOS 27.

E2EE for RCS whitethorn beryllium constricted to prime countries astatine first, arsenic carriers statesman rolling it out.
This article, "iOS 26.3 Hints astatine Improved iPhone-to-Android Texting Coming Soon" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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