Apple's iOS 26.3 Beta 2 Update Hints at End-to-End Encryption Support for RCS Messaging: Report

Apple appears to be inching closer towards rolling out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for rich communication services (RCS) messages. iOS 26.3 Beta 2, which was released earlier this week, hints that secure RCS chats may soon be available on iPhone models compatible with iOS 26. The beta update reportedly includes new carrier bundle settings. These updated settings will allow mobile carriers to enable E2EE for RCS messages. The move comes several months after Apple announced that it would support RCS messaging, which also relies on carrier support. The Cupertino-based company is expected to release iOS 26.3 for all users by the end of January.

End-to-End Encrypted RCS Messages on iOS 26

X user Tiino-X83 (@TiinoX83) spotted a reference to a new carrier bundle setting in the latest iOS 26.3 beta 2 that would allow carriers to enable or disable E2EE for RCS messages. The settings were only found for the four major French carriers named Bouygues, Orange, SFR, and Free, with no mention of other networks globally.

The GSMA requires E2EE to be enabled for all users, unless blocked by local laws. This standard mandates that users must be able to see their encryption status. The latest reference in the iOS 26.3 beta 2 suggests that Apple could be laying the groundwork for the feature. The iPhone maker is likely to launch it in an upcoming version of iOS.

Support for E2EE will ensure that the messages and their content, like documents and media, will remain confidential and secure, and the messaging provider won't be able to access them. This would bring RCS much closer to iMessage in terms of privacy and security.

Further, RCS offers different features like typing indicators, read receipts, and emoji reactions. It also supports higher-resolution photo and video attachments and bridges the gap between SMS and iMessage when communicating with Android users.

Apple announced that it would add support for E2EE RCS messages in March 2025 in association with GSMA, based on its Universal Profile 3.0. While RCS is available on carriers that support the feature, E2EE support has yet to roll out on iOS 26.

Apple is expected to release iOS 26.3 to the public at the end of January. It will be released alongside iPadOS 26.3. The public release of iOS 26.2 was made available on December 12 last year.