Apple looks ready to fix the last major gap in messaging between iPhone and Android users. New software findings suggest the company is actively preparing to switch on end-to-end encryption for RCS messages, likely arriving with the iOS 26.3 update later this month.
Hidden Settings Revealed
The hint comes from the latest beta version of iOS 26.3, released to developers earlier this week. An eagle-eyed user on social media platform X noticed new “carrier bundle” files—essentially the settings files that tell your phone how to talk to your mobile network.
These new files reportedly contain specific switches allowing carriers to enable encryption for RCS chats. Interestingly, these changes were spotted for major French networks like Orange and SFR. While it is currently limited to those specific carriers in the beta, it is a strong sign that Apple is testing the feature for a wider release.
Why Encryption Matters
Right now, if you text an Android user from an iPhone using the new RCS standard, you get better photos and typing indicators, but you don’t get the same security as iMessage. Your carrier or third parties could technically read those texts.
By adding end-to-end encryption, Apple is fulfilling a promise it made last year. It ensures that messages are scrambled so only the sender and receiver can read them. This would finally bring cross-platform texting up to the same security standard as WhatsApp or iMessage.
Market Impact & Context
For years, the “green bubble” experience was not just ugly; it was insecure. Apple adopted RCS to fix the media quality issues, but they held back on encryption until the industry standard (GSMA) caught up. Now that the technical groundwork is appearing in beta software, we are seeing the final step in normalizing communication between the two biggest mobile platforms.
Outlook
With iOS 26.3 expected to launch publicly by the end of January, iPhone users might soon see a “lock” icon appear in their green bubble chats. However, since this feature depends on mobile networks flipping the switch, it might take some time to roll out to everyone globally.
