Apple has brought back end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging in the iOS 26.5 beta, continuing its testing after briefly removing the feature from the iOS 26.4 release, and this change shows Apple is still working to improve message security between iPhone and Android users.
In the latest beta, you can find a new End-to-End Encryption toggle inside the Messages section of the Settings app under RCS options, and Apple keeps it enabled by default, so users do not need to turn it on manually while testing continues.
End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and receiver can read messages, which means no third party can intercept or access the content during transmission, and this matches the level of security iMessage has always provided between iPhone users.
Right now, Apple is still testing this feature, so it does not work across all devices or carriers, and that means some conversations will not support encryption even if you have the beta installed on your iPhone.
When encryption is active, the Messages app shows a lock icon for those conversations, making it easy to confirm when your messages stay fully secure while using RCS between iPhone and Android devices.
